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{
    "id": 843247,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/843247/?format=api",
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    "content": "resources and facilities to adequately play a monitoring and evaluation role of devolution and funds sent to the counties. He said that he supports the creation of that fund, because it will enable Senators to effectively perform their oversight role in the counties and engage experts. It will also enable them to send people on the ground to see those projects that the governors are saying have been done; to see whether it has been done or not and the progress. He further proposed that a Senator should even be facilitated to have an office in each constituency of the county that he or she represents. Madam Temporary Speaker, I will again use my example. As the Senator for Nairobi City County, I have 17 constituencies, 85 wards, 2.3 million voters and 5 million residents. However, the allocation for me to operate and perform my duty is the same as that of the Member of Parliament of Lamu East Constituency with 10,000 voters, one constituency and 3 wards. Where is the equity in that and how are we all supposed to perform our duties? In addition to that, hon. Chepkong’a spoke of bringing his integrity and independence to the PSC and promised to ensure that all Members of Parliament are facilitated to perform their jobs. Madam Temporary Speaker, we must be clear on this matter. Senators do not want money for their pockets or what they are calling ‘ mikutano ya mandazi na chai’ . They need to be facilitated even in kind to perform their functions, reach their voters, to be present to listen to their voters and analyse reports that are coming out from the Controller of Budget and from the Auditor General. They also need to support their county assemblies. This is for instance, so that my County Assembly of Nairobi City County, which is now in the public limelight because of their standing up for what they believe, is able to move properly, create legislative frameworks through which we can have support for the work that is being done in the county assemblies and in the county. That is because the county is the first and last frontier of devolution; the smallest and most important unit. Hon. Chepkong’a mentioned that the Senate has done considerably well. I think he was also trying to make us happy that we have done very well in protecting the interests of counties and empowering the people at the grassroots. We hope he does not change his mind. He also mentioned that the proposed sitting in Uasin Gishu County, scheduled for September 2018 would enhance the visibility of the Senate. Madam Temporary Speaker, it would have been very poetic if this approval hearing and voting was done when the Senate was in Uasin Gishu County. However, he cannot wait and we really need him in the PSC as soon as yesterday. We also know that there are certain sub-committees where Sen.Cheruiyot is in that are experiencing quorum hitches due to the absence of this non-member commissioner of the PSC. The Committee made the following observations as I move to conclude: One, hon. Chepkong’a has knowledge and experience in public sector issues and Legislature, having been a Member of Parliament. We had no reason to question his integrity. He is of good standing in public and also had clearance certificates from all the required institutions. 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."
}