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{
    "id": 704348,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/704348/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 246,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, that the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill (National Assembly Bills No.26 of 2013) be read a Second Time. This is one of the latest Bills that has come from the National Assembly and even as I move this very short Bill, this should confirm what my colleagues who have spoken and I have just said that we have been very diligent in discharging our obligations despite the acts of provocation that have been perpetuated against us by the National Assembly. I urge the House that we should continue discharging those duties, but at the same time, advancing the position that we have taken of making sure that our Bills are considered and finalised. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the purpose of this Bill is to amend Article 204 of the Constitution. As the Mover of this Bill, I may not say some of the issues that I would have said ordinarily, but I am sure they will come out as Senators debate on the Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to amend Article 204 of the Constitution, so as to remove the disbursements of the Equalisation Fund from the purview of the national Government and transfer it to the constituencies, where the marginalised areas exist. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that the Equalisation Fund which is established to assist marginalised areas attain the same level of development as the rest of the country. The constituencies, according to this Bill, are better placed to ensure the implementation of the identified programmes within the areas of jurisdiction. This is a one page Bill with several sentences. Article 204 of Constitution establishes the Equalisation Fund. It provides that the Fund should be for purposes of uplifting marginalised areas; areas which have been historically left behind in development. The Bill removes the word “national government” from Article 204 (2) of the Constitution so that it just says that ‘the Fund shall be used to”--- It will mean, therefore, that the Equalisation Fund, according to the proposal in this Bill, will be disbursed by Parliament in the Appropriation Act. That is the upshot of this amendment. The Equalisation Fund will not be disbursed from the national Government to the counties as is proposed currently in the Constitution. Instead, Parliament will enact a law that will disburse that money to the constituencies, similar to what is happening today in The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}