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{
    "id": 719817,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/719817/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 121,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Nuh",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2840,
        "legal_name": "Junet Sheikh Nuh",
        "slug": "junet-sheikh-nuh"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I think for the 32,000 kilometres of roads that have been devolved to the counties to be maintained, enough funds should also be devolved. How can you devolve roads to the counties, some of which used to be maintained under the Constituency Roads Board, and yet you are allocating them little money? That means you do not want those roads to be maintained. Most of the roads measuring 32,000 kilometres in some parts of this country had not seen tarmac until devolution came in. For the last 50 years in my constituency, the major road that goes to the District Commissioner’s Office where government sits was a marram road until the county government came and put tarmac. Even though they may not have done it perfectly, it is better than the way it was. Therefore, I think there is a serious scheme to sabotage devolution in this country and portray it as having failed so that Kenyans can think of going back to the way they were being governed in the last 50 years. That is going to be the worst disaster that can happen in this country. If you look at the Division of Revenue Bill, you will see that the amount of money that we will use this Financial Year is Kshs618 billion. I think that is close to 50 per cent of our revenue. That is what we will spend on debt servicing. The amount of money that you are devolving for this Financial Year is based on 2013/2014 audited accounts, and we are told that we are devolving 34 per cent. This is the case and yet we are discussing a Budget of Kshs2 trillion. But if you want to give money to the counties where 80 per cent of Kenyans stay – Nairobi can carry 10 or 15 per cent of Kenyans – you should base the money that you want to send to them on the audited accounts of 2013/2014. Then you claim that we are devolving 34 per cent this Financial Year. I believe if more money is devolved to the counties and corruption is tamed at the county level, this country will achieve faster development than it is today. It is only that the priorities of the Jubilee Government are upside down because if I were them, I would have devolved all the money that this country receives and hold the county governments accountable so that they can tell Kenyans what they have done with that money. I have heard my colleagues say that health services should be returned to the national Government. Nothing could be further from the truth. What did we achieve in the last 50 years 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."
}