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{
    "id": 703182,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/703182/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 9,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Billow",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 260,
        "legal_name": "Billow Adan Kerrow",
        "slug": "billow-kerrow"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue of county governments failing to settle debts incurred by suppliers or creditors is very common. This House has seen in the petitions that have come before it pending bills in some of the counties of up to Kshs2.5 billion. We saw it in the case of Murang’a, and I am sure every Senator who sits here knows that in their respective counties, there are pending bills that run into billions. In my own county,the pending bills are estimated to be somewhere between Kshs4 billion to Kshs5 billion. Contractors who either supplied goods or services in 2013 and 2014 are still waiting for payment. No justifiable reason has been given. There is a system the Government has put in place called the IFMIS, where on the basis of work done, if that system works and the information is fed in properly, you should be paid on the basis of who did what. Secondly, when you apply for requisition from the Central Bank of Kenya to the operational accounts of the county governments, the Controller of Budget must be provided with information on the basis of specific activities for which you want that money. Under the PFM Act, there should be not a single debtor. However, some of the county governments are mischievous and incompetent in terms of meeting the requirements of the suppliers. This is one example where a supplier has struggled through the county assembly and has now come to the Senate to seek redress. It is important that we send a message to the county government that they must settle the dues of the suppliers. We have had suppliers and contractors demonstrating in many parts of this country for their money that has not been paid. I think this is a matter that we need to deal with seriously."
}