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{
    "id": 719917,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/719917/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 221,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Lentoimaga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2756,
        "legal_name": "Alois Musa Lentoimaga",
        "slug": "alois-musa-lentoimaga"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I rise to support this Bill. This is a very important Bill in our country. As other Members have said, it is part of sharing funds between the counties and the national Government. I think one great thing that 14 counties were waiting for is the Equalisation Fund. The national Government had sent Principal Secretaries (PSs) to the 14 counties to consult and decide on the projects that were identified by leaders and the local people. It is now almost two months since that time and some of us from these counties are really eager. We are eager and waiting patiently for the national Government to advertise projects that were identified by the local people and the leadership in those counties. Money has been devolved and revenue has also been agreed upon for only three sectors between county governments and the national Government. The other funds have been flowing very well. I am surprised and I am wondering why the equalisation funds which are provided in the Constitution are not being given to our people, so that we can slightly rise to the level of the other counties that have enjoyed development for more than 50 years since Independence. The amount that was meant for those counties would have gone a long way to alleviate the problems of poverty, assist in provision of water and other amenities. The other issue is counties getting money. My county does not get enough. It only gets Kshs3.8 billion which has somehow changed the development scenario in the county. Because of marginalisation, some of these counties have lived without any development for 53 years. Nothing has been done before for all those years. At least, devolution has changed them, but the issue about disbursement has been a big problem especially when it comes to emergency funds. There is a lot of bureaucracy when it comes to emergency funds especially when we have an emergency like drought. There is money, but the bureaucracy in the Government, at the National Treasury and even in the Civil Service is so huge that this money cannot, sometimes, even rescue life when we have problems. We currently have a serious problem of drought in my constituency and in Samburu County at large. There is lack of water, livestock are dying and there is no food. Counties are 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."
}