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{
    "id": 842915,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/842915/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 157,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "my county, I tell the people that I am the one who brings this money; I am the one who debates on what comes to Vihiga County. I want to inform them that when revenue is collected by the national Government, the first Bill that comes to Parliament – and when I say Parliament, I mean the National Assembly and the Senate – is the Division of Revenue Bill. This is a Bill that decides how much money remains with the national Government and how much money goes to the counties. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will agree with me that during our first year in the last Senate, there were some people who were scheming to exclude the Senate from this important exercise of deciding on the division of revenue between the counties and the national Government. We had to go to court, and I remember that we walked with you and the rest of the Senators who were there in the last Senate to the High Court, and we won that battle. We now have a big role to play in deciding how much money goes to the counties and how much money remains at the national Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, after the Division of Revenue Bill, there is what we call the County Allocation of Revenue Bill. This is done here in the Senate after we have got our chunk of what is supposed to go to the counties. A Bill comes here to decide which county gets what; and this House has a final say on that. Yet after that, we come to what we are now doing now, approving the report on the schedule on how these funds allocated to counties shall be disbursed to the counties. Therefore, I want to tell those people who think that the Senate has no role to play that for them to get those resources to the counties, it is all about the Senate. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the purpose of this Bill is to ensure timely monthly transfer of funds from the national kitty – the Consolidated Fund – to the county treasuries. Why is that important? It is extremely important because it helps the county to predict and work on their work plans. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, because I said that I will be very brief, I want to urge that the Treasury should always endeavor to adhere to the schedule that we pass here. Year in, year out, we come here to complain that whatever is passed here is law, and no one is above the law. Treasury must always ensure that they adhere to this Schedule for the counties to receive their funds in time so as to implement their projects. There have been numerous cases of funds being returned to the Treasury at the end of the financial year because they have not been expended by the counties. This is partly caused by the delayed release. In my county, for example, the last disbursement was done just about three weeks to the end of the financial year. Honestly, how do you expect that money to be used within three weeks? We are insisting that these funds must be disbursed in time so that the counties not to be brought to a halt. On the other hand, we want to urge our governors, even as we push for these funds to be disbursed to the counties, to use them prudently. We want the county governments to prioritise projects that will benefit mwananchi, the people in the county, rather than those that benefit individuals. In my county, for example, I saw that they had prioritised building of the governor’s official residence in this financial year. I then wondered whether this was taken through public participation. Is this what the people of Vihiga County want? Is this the priority? 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."
}