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{
    "id": 719756,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/719756/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 60,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mulu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1955,
        "legal_name": "Benson Makali Mulu",
        "slug": "benson-makali-mulu"
    },
    "content": "is excess collection, then that money will go to the national Government to take care of payments of loans and other activities. We have put Kshs7.7 million to take care of Equalisation Fund. I want to remind this House that the money for Equalisation Fund has been put in every budget every year since we joined the 11th Parliament. Unfortunately as we speak, I do not think we have disbursed a single cent out of the Equalisation Fund kitty. It defeats logic and all the thinking around the Equalisation Fund. It is clearly there in law and money is not being disbursed to the affected areas so that they catch up with areas which are said to be already developed. The other thing is the law requires that we approve division of revenue based on approved audited reports. When you look at the records of this House, the last time we approved accounts was 2013/2014 which means we are in arrears by about three years. I must really appreciate the fact that we have shared this revenue based on projections of this year. The House needs to take the challenge and make sure we fast-track this Report so that we can be up to date in terms of sharing this revenue based on audited reports other than projections. The law demands that we must use approved audited accounts. The issue of village polytechnics is quite impressive. This House needs to put in place mechanisms to make sure that the money for village polytechnics is actually released to the village polytechnics so that we can improve them. They will take care of our children who do not go to the universities and those who do not go for diploma courses. It is for those who are able to do low level technical courses which can help them make a living. The payment towards public debt is a worrying trend. We have moved from Kshs446.6 billion to Kshs618 billion in terms of payment of public debt and associated expenses, which are interests and all those other things. This is really a worrying trend. We have said many times that, even as we borrow as a country, let us bear in mind that we have a future generation that will come and that will be expected to pay that money. We need to avoid what we call inter- generational balancing in terms of payment of public debt. It is important we start being keen. I urge the economists who work in the National Treasury to be a bit more careful with our public debt. As we talk about revenue generation, county governments are collecting revenue from their local resources. I can say this without any fear of contradiction that county governments are not achieving their optimum level in the collection of revenue. We need to push them so that, even as we give money from the national level, they should collect what is expected at their level so that we develop our counties. This is the only way this country will develop. When you look at how the money is shared, the Bill says very clearly that in the process of determining what goes to the county governments, developmental needs of the county governments needs to have been factored in. We need to push county governments so that those developmental needs are addressed with the resources we are sending to the counties. Anytime you read the print media or listen to the television, there is a lot of misdirection of resources from the main functions. We really need to push those county governments so that developmental needs are met by making sure that resources are used for intended purposes. When you look at the Emergency Fund (EF), we have put Kshs5 billion at the national level. The county governments should also be expected, at that lower level, to also factor in emergency funds of about 2 per cent of their money. This is very important. With what we are going through as a nation now - like the issue of drought and all these others things - it is important that county governments factor in emergency funds so that when these things happen at that level, our people are not exposed to danger as a result of natural calamities. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}