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{
    "id": 800755,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/800755/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 315,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, the only way that we are going to achieve any progress in this country, may it be improving on the levels on skills in our polytechnics, is when we involve the public. We have about 11 Level Five hospitals in this country. I see there is a lot of money which is being allocated for leasing of medical equipment. This Parliament ought to ask itself whether that money is enough to support those hospitals. It is imperative that the national Government works in collaboration with the county governments to collect systemic data. This will tell us whether the money being allocated for conditional grants in terms of leasing of medical equipment or being sent to polytechnics is being used for the intended purpose. I tend to believe that although these grants are conditional, the conditions of managing them are a little bit ambiguous. It is, therefore, important for us now to have a conversation with the office of the Auditor-General so that any audit reports that come to this House for us to consider, include these conditional grants. I have worked with many donor agencies. When they give you money, they follow through. They want to see those audit reports for them to get value for their money. They visit grounds to ascertain whether or not their money was used for the intended purpose. In a nutshell, getting feedback is very important. As we make these amendments, the discussion that we ought to be having now is how we are going to ensure that this money is properly utilized. It is a lot of money. I am happy that there is more money now going into the county governments. When I see that the allocation has now moved to about Kshs376 billion, I am happy. However, I will not be happy if we cannot account for this money and if we cannot say that in Narok County, for example, a certain number of polytechnics were given these grants and a certain number of students benefited. I will not be happy to see that there is a lot of money being allocated to agriculture and yet in Narok County we are still selling wheat to people in Mombasa or Kisumu for value-addition. I hope that the national Government will work closely with county governments in these conditional grants to ensure that if it is value-addition, we do not sell wheat in its raw form from Narok to Nairobi. I want to see people from Nairobi coming to Narok County to buy wheat flour and creating more jobs there. This is when we are going to stop rural-urban migration. Madam Temporary Speaker, although I support, I feel that we are just made to rubberstamp. This is done from a different place. We are brought and told: “We now have all these other conditional grants, now approve them.” I do not think that is fair at all. I do not think it is right. The only way that we can defend and oversight what we are approving is if we are involved from the initial stages. The Constitution talks a lot about public participation. The people of Narok County should be involved in the decision of whether or not the hospitals in Narok County should lease equipment. This is because if you sign a memorandum with the Government and you refuse to take the equipment, you will still pay for them. I know in the last Government, the former Governor--- Madam Temporary Speaker, I am disturbed by the Senator for Kericho County. I have to say this. I am now looking at him talking on phone. I am getting concerned on 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."
}