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{
    "id": 832365,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/832365/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 766,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": "committees on Tuesday in the HBC to try and see how, as a House, we would not let the people of Kenya down by not having updated accounts. Coming back to Hon. Kathuri’s Committee Report, the Chairman of this Committee is someone we have kind words for. I know he is working collectively with Members in that Committee. We are happy that this Report has been brought. It is also sending a very strong message out there to the people of Kenya that Members of Parliament are not only interested in overseeing funds that they have no direct interaction with but that, even NG-CDF which is considered to be having close interaction with MPs can also be debated. This is going to happen for all the 290 constituencies so that we demonstrate that the money that is allocated or appropriated for any public service is prudently and efficiently spent for the welfare of the people of Kenya. When you look at the Reports – the audited reports on NG-CDF and the audit queries – there is no doubt that the audit queries are minimal when it comes to this fund compared to other Government funds. It may be that it is the money that is spent by the national Government or that which is spent by the county governments. There are a number of reasons. I am not saying that all the constituencies are clean. There are constituencies with serious audit queries. There are also constituencies which have audit queries that can be addressed. That is something that we need to tell the public. Most Kenyans are not financial experts, accountants or economists. They probably do not understand what an audit query is. We need to start educating our people that an audit query is not equal to embezzlement of funds. Sometimes, the accountants are unable to reconcile the accounts and that becomes an audit query. An audit query arises where, for instance, the auditor cannot ascertain how money was spent. When it is flashed out there, the first impression is that there is money that was allocated to such and such a department, but the auditors cannot find it. We need to start educating people to understand audit queries in the correct perspective. Having said that, it should come out clearly that the queries on the NG-CDF are not as serious as other Government departments. If they were - and you know how people imagine that MPs control the NG-CDF although you and I know that MPs have a very minimal role to play in terms of management of the NG-CDF if at all there is - it would be the discussion in this country. Why is it? That is what I want to concentrate on. If the Senators were listening to me, I would challenge them. The reason the spending of this fund has a level of efficiency is because of involvement of the community. It is high time we moved towards community involvement in implementation of projects. We are all aware that for you or any constituency to spend this fund, the project being funded must form a project management committee where the local community is in charge of implementation. Members of the community are the ones who receive the funds, do the procurement and supervise the constructions. The role of an MP in that committee is just to go and see, check and oversee what has been done. How I wish the monies we allocate to counties which go to ghost projects were used thus! I say so because when you look at the budgets of the counties, take one budget line of roads, you will see huge allocations. By the end of the year, there is no road done. The money is spent and contractors are paid. What you hear is that some people have already taken the funds out of the country and constructed buildings in Tanzania. Some go to Dubai. These stories are real. Some money is taken oversees. It is because no one is answerable to the implementation of the project. So, a lot of projects that are implemented are basically ghost. A lot of money is allocated by counties to provide water. There is no water when you go to our counties. In fact, the communities ask MPs for water yet this is a devolved function with The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}