{"id":807330,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/807330/?format=json","text_counter":291,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Homa Bay CWR, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Ms.) Gladys Nyasuna","speaker":{"id":590,"legal_name":"Gladys Atieno Nyasuna","slug":"gladys-atieno-nyasuna"},"content":" Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this very important Bill. I can see that time is much gone and we have a Motion of Adjournment at 5.30 p.m., so I will not take much time. Let me speak to the issue of the formula for sharing of revenue. I am glad that now we have a second generation formula that considers population at 45 per cent, land mass at 8 per cent, poverty has been reduced from 20 per cent to 18 per cent, there is an equal share for all counties at 26 per cent, fiscal responsibility at 2 per cent, and development factor at 1 per cent. This sort of settles the issue of equity. If we apply this formula right then we are taking care of historically marginalised communities and at the same time recognising that counties that have high population must receive sufficient revenue to cover their expenses, especially because some counties have combined so many other county councils that the wage bill is so high that sometimes they are unable to meet… Let us look at how the second generation formula works. We should not relegate the issue of historical marginalisation. We must always as a House think about the weak among us and lift them up. It is of concern and should be of concern to Kenyans that 29 counties, almost three- quarters of our counties, did not have a score on fiscal effort, which means that they did not show any increase in their own revenue. Our counties cannot continue to rely wholly on money coming from the national Government and not on increasing their own revenues. The other very key point that I wanted to highlight is one of the recommendations of the budget committee that IBEC, which I have been a member of in the past, and the Intergovernmental Technical Relations Committee should develop a framework for clear linkage of the CIDPs, CFSPs and our Vision 2030 and Medium Term Plan. I would like to say that sometimes we do CIDPs and fiscal plans at county level but nobody follows up their implementation. In fact, these days when counties go round for public participation, the masses just say: “No, we do not want to say anymore because what we have said from the beginning has not been done.” The other important issue is that of county assemblies receiving their monies directly from the Treasury instead of having to rely on money coming from county executives which they are supposed to oversee. How do you oversee someone and you are begging them to give you resources which you are entitled to? It is a very difficult situation that they find themselves in. Finally, I would also like to add my voice in support of Ward Development Fund. Let us devolve this thing to the very lowest levels so that Members of County Assembly are also responsible for something. Right now, if the county executive fails, it fails with everybody because MCAs do not have any other way of bringing development to the people. With those many remarks and considering the constraints of time, I beg to support."}