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{
    "id": 875487,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/875487/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 231,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": "still handling the projects of 2017/2018. They have not even started the projects of 2018/2019 because the funds have delayed. On the issue of monitoring, evaluation and oversight, the Act provides for an oversight committee. But there seems to have been no mechanisms. First of all, the oversight committee has never been gazetted and so, it has no teeth to bite. It has no powers or authority to do anything. Secondly, there has been no financial allocation to the oversight committee. Consequently, they simply have to depend on the generosity of the fund account managers or the committees to get them small funds to enable them oversee the works of the committee. It is important that amendments are brought to the NG-CDF Act to amend that provision to give the oversight committee adequate mandate and latitude to oversee the works of the NG-CDF Committee. Another important issue that keeps on cropping up quite often is the procurement processes as required under Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, as well as the Public Finance Management Act. The purpose of the NG-CDF funds is to develop local contracting skills. Many of the contractors in those rural areas probably have no capacity to acquire all the documents that are required under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act and related regulations. They might not have the requisite management skills to comply with the PFM Act. Consequently, as we have requested before, there needs to be an element of accommodation or relaxation of the rules and requirements to enable as many of them as possible to participate in tendering and procurement. What you find out is that many of the works, if you strictly follow the regulations, will end up with mainstream contractors; meaning the local contractors have nothing to do. As I conclude, there is the issue of infrastructure in schools. With 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary and from secondary to tertiary schools, our institutions are overstretched in terms of classrooms, tutorial rooms, accommodation in hostels, dining spaces, laboratories, and the rest. On NG-CDF amount, considering the statutory ceilings necessary, it is not enough to provide infrastructure to alleviate the suffering in schools. Probably, as we discuss, we could also engage the Ministry of Education to channel the funds on infrastructure through NG-CDF Boards since they already have adequate experience and capacity. They would handle and expeditiously execute those projects to ensure that we finish in good time. The so-called shift from tablets to science laboratories could as easily be handled by the NG-CDF Board because of the already existing capacity. We are able to do these things at far much cheaper cost compared to mainstream Government or county governments. With those few remarks, I beg to support the Motion."
}