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"speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
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"content": "with the Supreme Court Advisory Opinion to the extent that The Division of Revenue Bill is an ordinary Bill and can commence either from the Senate or the National Assembly. We have, therefore, set a good precedent, which means that before there is any reduction of the money that is allocated to the counties, the first point of call is an amended Division of Revenue Bill; while the second one would be the County Allocation of Revenue Act. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, while I support the increase here, I must admit that it is extremely disappointing. We are now in November, and possibly all counties except a few, have already agreed on their budgets by this time. According to the Controller of Budget – and I have a received a letter issued to my governor on these conditional grants – they must be included in the budget, so that these counties can then receive the funding that comes from the national Government. Whereas the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Budget, in his wisdom, has separated sharable revenue and conditional grants, the position is that there are still other conditions when the matter goes to counties. Therefore, we must expedite this and tell the National Treasury that any other grant that comes after we have passed the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, sometime in April, May or much later, just about July, should wait for the next financial year. This is because this sort of budgeting is interfering with the county budgets. To that extent, I think we should, as the Senate, set some policy other than what Sen. Cheruiyot is talking about, which I want to deal with. There must be guidelines to the National Treasury. You cannot enter into grants, conditional or otherwise, continuously past the budget cycle. It could be nice that we are receiving money, but it is disruptive both to the business of this House and county assemblies. Secondly, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the functions that are here, that is, of agriculture, water, and forests are all devolved. As we debate and pass this budget, I cannot tell this country and the people we represent the basis upon which, for example, Baringo County is receiving Kshs117 million under the World Bank Climate Smart Agriculture Project. Similarly, I cannot tell the country - and I am sure the Chairman also cannot - why the Bungoma County is receiving Kshs80 million under the Water Tower Protection and Climate Change Mitigation and Adoption Programme. That is the case for all the conditional grants. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, what does that make of us, as the Senate and Committee of Finance and Budget? We are just but a conveyor belt of national Government grants. They do not involve us in these things and our work is to stand, make noise, vote and that is the end. It is not exactly a very proud thing to say, but it is important that we say so. I say so because there is time where the Committee on Finance and Budget and Senators can engage with the national Government on these decisions. For instance, why did they decide that Bungoma County should receive Kshs80 million for Water Tower Protection and Climate Change Mitigation and Adoption Programme and not Mau Forest? Why did they choose that Elgeyo-Marakwet, Busia or Kisii County should receive Kshs80 million and not Chyulu Water Tower, which is already a declared water tower? This Country has six gazetted water towers. We have received a grant that The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}