Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 811421,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/811421/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 206,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "devolved to them using the resources that have been appropriated by Parliament, including this House, under the Division of Revenue Bill. There is something unique about the roads levy. Roads levies are collected from users of both national and county roads. Therefore, the division must also provide for maintenance of those roads. If you read the Third Schedule of this Bill, you will realize that the resources have been divided into various entities and this was a negotiated process. The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has been given 35 per cent of the resources collected from the roads levy. It may sound a lot but it is not. In fact, as a person who is representing counties, I would have been among the first people to say that we should reduce this money further. However, you need to think about the national roads and everybody is fighting to have a highway in their county. How will they be maintained? Every time highways are being constructed. We are going further to even have dual carriages and so forth. We want to construct one from Mombasa to Malaba. All these require more resources. We might need to revise the figure in future so that tarmac roads get more resources than this 35 per cent. The Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) was allocated 28 per cent. These categories of roads are found in our counties and they connect one county to another. This is important although the resources allocated are not that much. The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) was allocated 10 per cent and it must now work with county governments. Nairobi is already taking a lion’s share of urban roads. Our counties are crying for an equal share to be taken to, for example, Kiambu, Nakuru, Elgeyo- Marakwet, Tana River, Tharaka Nithi, Makueni, Kitui, Kisii, Nyamira and many other places in this Republic. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, 16 per cent of the resources will be given to counties. It must be understood that it is only going to deal with the other roads and not roads under the KeRRA or the KURA. The allocation of 16 per cent seems less but it is significant because, under the division of revenue, already resources have been allocated to counties for roads. If a classic argument was to be made on this money, we would be required to reevaluate the law. This is because the money will go to counties but under what framework? Is it conditional or unconditional grant? The thinking around the division of the road levies to the counties must be followed by another law. What will force the county governors to allocate the money to roads? It can only go to roads if we make it a conditional grant for purpose of roads. The Chairman of the Committee needs to think through how we can later amend this law to provide the framework of the 16 per cent to go to counties as conditional grant and then it should be factored in the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, so that when we do the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, already the roads are covered. When the money goes to Elgeyo-Marakwet County as roads levy, we can confirm that roads are being done using the money. This is where we will be helped by Sen. Kirinyaga who is an expert engineer on matters of construction. I do not think Sen. Wamatangi is an engineer but he is an expert on tanks. The expert on matters of roads is 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."
}