Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 719956,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/719956/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 260,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Appropriations Committee and the Parliamentary Budget Office to guide us on what these figures mean. Just having these figures here may not mean much to everyone. Having said that, I am concerned that we may be debating a Bill, which in a sense may not be entirely constitutional. Article 201(c) clearly states that the burdens and benefits of the use of resources and public borrowing shall be shared equitably between present and future generations. I have just been looking at this Bill and you realise that the provision for debt servicing for this year is Kshs618 billion against a revenue projection of Kshs1.5 trillion. That is 40 per cent. From what I know, for debt to be sustainable, it can only be up to a maximum of 30 per cent of revenue. Clearly, we have to look at the debt position of this country because we could be piling debts on future generations which would then be against the principles of the Constitution. Having said that, I have looked at the provisions for the national social safety net and I have found that this is a very opaque provision. This money has been coming here in the Division of Revenue Bill and in our budgets and yet no criteria has ever been brought to this House to tell us, for example, how many people in Vihiga County, where you come from, have benefited. We have asked for an audit to be told where these people are. We find that in some counties, as many as three times the number of people are benefiting and that is not right because it again negates the principle of equitability which is enshrined in the Constitution."
}