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{
    "id": 729897,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/729897/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 166,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Katoo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 199,
        "legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
        "slug": "judah-ole-metito"
    },
    "content": "It is time to bite the bullet and think of abolishing some of the elective offices. That proposal should come from the socio-economic audit. Apparently, many offices in the public service have duplicating roles. We need to see how we can streamline and abolish some of the elective offices. If we manage to do so we will have in place a lean, efficient and, perhaps, a well-paid public service. In the Budget, we need to expand and implement some of the capital projects that in the short-term seem to be very expensive yet in the long-term, I believe, they would grow the economy hence creating more jobs for our youth. I have in mind projects that have to do with roads, railways, ICT and the energy sector. We should emphasise that particular fact because this might be a transition Budget. We really need to maintain those capital projects. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for transition purposes, especially at the county level, there should be no pending bills. There are so many pending bills at the county level. All county governments should clear their pending bills within or by the end of their term. There will be no need to load the incoming governments with pending bills. Of what value is it? Even the value to the public may not be confirmed. There is no need for a new government to come in only to be met with pending bills that are likely to consume the whole budget of one’s first year in office. Therefore, a mechanism should be put in place for all the 47 county governments and also the national Government to see how they can streamline and clear the pending bills. We also need to put a mechanism in place to ensure full disclosure of county government revenues. Some of their revenues are not remitted to the National Treasury. There is a lot of money at the county level that does not get to the National Treasury. The county governments always say that the national Government has not been remitting funds in time, or that it has been disbursing money in doses. The same county governments have, however, failed to explain to the electorate that there is a lot of revenue collected in the counties that is not accounted for. Therefore, we should put a mechanism in place that will ensure full disclosure of every penny collected at the county level. There is need to cut down on Government wastage both at the national and county levels. This will enable us safeguard funds that need to be channelled towards development. There is unnecessary construction of buildings. For instance, we have just rejected here the amendments meant to allocate money for the construction of buildings. Such monies could as well be channelled towards research work. We can avoid that both at the national and the county levels, but especially at the county level because that is where we experience high Recurrent Expenditure. For example, a lot of money is used to construct offices, buy fleet of cars and employing unnecessary staff most of them in the name of casual labourers. We need to cut down on that wastage. I cannot forget to mention the wastage in our public offices occasioned through entertainment and refreshments. Quite a great deal of money could be saved through that so that we enhance the percentage that goes to the development kitty. The fifth point is the need to centralise the human resource factor, especially the personnel issue to ensure there is harmony and equity in the remuneration of civil servants. Take for instance the just ended strike by medical personnel. One of the issues they were raising, remuneration, was valid. This is because they were being paid depending on what the county government thought it could pay them. These are skilled personnel and they have equal qualifications. The personnel need to be centralised so that the Ministry of Health or the national Government ensures that professionals working, say, in Garissa, Kajiado, Turkana, or any other county are paid the same. That is why you saw some of the medics in some counties like Bomet 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."
}