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{
    "id": 780215,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/780215/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 260,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "It is sad that we do not have an accurate report from the liaison officer and the Transition Authority that went out unceremoniously. The Transition Authority was supposed to bridge the county assemblies, local authorities and municipalities with the county governments and give a clear record of assets and liabilities. We do not have that report on hand. This is one of the things that will continue recurring in the Auditor General’s report year in, year out. I do not know at what point we shall put a stop to this recurrence in the Auditor-General’s report. Madam Temporary Speaker, if you casually look at the 2013/2014 Auditor- General’s report, there is still the same issue of assets and liabilities. A look at the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 reports, you will note that the same problem is recurring. I suspect that the 2017/2018 and the 2018/2019 reports will have the same problem recurring on assets and liabilities. We have a problem. We, as the Senate, must look for the treatment to secure assets of the county before they disappear in thin air. If we do not do it, we will be in a difficult situation because these pending bills will continue to rise. When we came to the Senate, the pending bills were somewhere in the region of Kshs45 billion or Kshs46 billion. By the time we started looking at the reports, it had shot up to Kshs96 billion. Currently, I am informed that it is over Kshs100 billion. If this is what keeps on happen, then most of these county governments will be bankrupt. Therefore, we, as the Senate, must be in a position to put in place a legislation that will take into account that before one assumes the office, the assets and liabilities that he or she is inheriting, be recorded. If a problem arises at the end of your term, or whatever causes your end from that office, we should hold you to full account for the loss of property and assets of that county. This must be captured in a legal framework. However, if we just say that on the assumption of office, we will lavish them with wonderful ceremonies, music and cultural dances without due regard to the costs and expenses being incurred before these officers assume office, we will have just given them another way of spending money without proper sanctions being applied in this regard. Madam Temporary Speaker, I am pleading that we must find out how we will account for assets and liabilities before these men and women of Kenya assume their offices, particularly after the 2022 General Elections. We acknowledge in the memorandum of articles of objects and reasons that there is a clear acknowledgement that there is no legal framework governing the assumption of office of the governor. Therefore, this has come at the right time. This framework is important and we should ensure that there is a successful and smooth transition in the office of the governor by a governor-elect. I am happy we will repeal Section 30 of the County Governments Act. I take the advice by Sen. Dullo and that of the Senate Majority Leader who has also proposed a different set of rules. We should harmonize these two pieces of legislation so that we do not, on one hand, create another headache in the other Act. There should be a way at the Committee stage on how this will be harmonized and whether we should marry one into the other or we delete it all together. What is being proposed here by Sen. Wamatangi is deletion of Section 30 of the County Governments Act. We should take care of the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}