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{
    "id": 712925,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/712925/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 370,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13156,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo-jnr"
    },
    "content": ".: Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to second the Motion that we adopt the report on the Budget Policy Statement 2017. I need not repeat the sentiments of my Chairman. Only to say that as usual, the Senate has been unable to interrogate the Budget Policy Statement in detail because of the timelines. The proposals to change the timelines have not seen the light of day as a result of which the Committee on Information, Communication and Technology which had serious issues to raise about the Budget Policy Statement have not found their way here. Since I chair the meeting on ICT, let me point out two issues. One, this Government has planned to spend Kshs4.3 billion in Universal Service Fund. This Fund is supposed to roll out 3G-O network across the country. Only 17 per cent of Kenya’s land area is covered by 3G network, 54 per cent is covered by 2G network and the rest of the country has no network. The Universal Service Fund has been lying at the Communications Authority (CA) without being used as a result of which although the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights led by Sen. Wako and Sen. Sang, the intention to have an electronic based election of transmission of results will not be possible until the Universal Service Fund is rolled out in its entirety in the whole country. I was hoping that a serious statement to that effect would be issued. It has an effect on e- procurement because it affects last mile connectivity. The second issue is on pending bills which the Chairperson has mentioned. We have discovered that, in fact, there are lots of pending Bills in the ICT sector because the national Government has not followed the Budget Policy Statement. There is a programme called the Constituency Wi-Fi Programme where the Ministry of ICT rolls out ICT in schools in various regions. From the interrogation of the Budget Policy Statement for the last year, the ICT Committee has concluded that that programme was not in the Budget Policy Statement. The Ministry for Information, Communication and Technology, although the programme is useful and I have uploaded it, has created a pending bill. So, there must be value for the Budget Policy Statement as the Chairperson has said. Somebody must follow it because it must dictate something. The Chairperson has also said that the parameters used for the division of revenue, although there appears to be an increase – for example, there is an increase of almost Kshs2 billion for Makueni County in the Financial Year 2017/2018 – are not correct because it is an average as opposed to consistent growth. If there is growth in revenue and the economy, there must be corresponding growth in the revenue allocated to counties. The national Government has re-classified roads. Under Article 187(2), these 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"
}