Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 768658,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/768658/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 143,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "development. Why am I saying this? It is because we must be able to measure our development priorities with regard to how much monies we are apportioning and also, of course, in terms of international standards such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Another very curious and interesting observation that is coming out of this report is that counties are actually spending their Appropriation-in-Aid (A-i-A) at source. That means that counties are collecting money and spending it where they are collecting it. This is totally unheard of because how then do you account for the monies that have been collected? Madam Temporary Speaker, this is an issue that needs to be looked out for because the County Revenue Fund must be seen to be working. Yes, we know very well even at the national Government, that the Consolidated Fund is fictitious; it does not really exist. But then, can we also, in the same spirit of what we have agreed on at the national level through the Public Finance Management Act, implement a single Treasury account at the county treasuries? This is important so that then, there is proper tracking of the monies that are being raised at various sources. We do agree that our counties are yet to be fully exploited economically to benefit those very counties and also the national revenue. So, it is important to ensure that the only way we can show that there is credence to such endeavours, is to fully account for the resources that are being collected at source and also used in a consolidated way. That also helps in terms of budgeting and also forecasting in terms of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the various counties so that the various plans and, indeed, the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) is fully implemented within the ambit of Vision 2030 and other guiding planning documents. Madam Temporary Speaker, there is also another emerging trend that is quite telling from this report; that in the year running up to the general election, during the 2016/2017 Financial Year, there is a market decline in terms of how counties had projected how to raise their local revenue and the figures thereof. For example, clearly like in Kiambu County, which I have been able to peruse, there is a decline of 17 per cent. That 17 per cent of revenue that was raised in the Financial Year 2015/2016, was not raised in the Financial Year 2016/2017. This is such that they were able to raise Kshs 2.47 billion before, but for this year, they were only able to raise Kshs 2.03 billion. That is quite informative because it shows how – and we have all witnessed this even at the national level – how the economic activities are highly affected by our politicking. It is important to ensure that we put in place measures to safeguard the same. This country should not just be seen to be politicking forever to the detriment of everybody as we see currently, where everything is slowing down. If you go to the columns in the national newspapers, you will see that the pages on auctions have really increased because of this political activity. In the same way, if a county will not collect revenue enough to sustain the various vote heads under its budget, it also shows that the citizenry will suffer with regard to delivery of services. It also reeks of corruption. Why do I say so? If you reduce the official receipts of collections it, therefore, means that maybe these monies could be diverted. People are collecting money, but they are not remitting to the various official The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}