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{
    "id": 878174,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/878174/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 615,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) states that our economy is growing because of improved weather conditions, business activities, and political calmness. If we do not support these improvements with resources, how then are we going to sustain them? If we are saying our weather patterns have improved and yet we are retaining all the money in the national Government - in fact, and I thank the distinguished Senator for Bungoma County for pointing this out, that whenever there is a shortfall, the law is very clear, it is not the county governments that should absorb it, but the national Government. We have to be very clear. I was expecting all Senators to be here tonight because this is when we are supposed to shine. I am so proud of all the Senators - including yourself, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. You have been very patient. I am so proud of Sen. (Prof.) Kamar for staying here and fighting to ensure that the people of Uasin Gishu County can get their share of the national cake. I am so proud of the Chairman for having done a fantastic job in making sure that they scrutinized this BPS which the National Treasury cleverly to send us without a matrix on how they are going to fund the Big Four Agenda. Where is that money going to come from? I am also very proud of the distinguished Senator for Bungoma County, because the two of them have really looked at this BPS. I am also very proud of the distinguished Senator, Sen. Halake, very eloquent, who has clearly indicated to us that, the budget making process is defined. This is when all Senators should be looking at it and saying, “How do we ensure that our counties continue to improve and get more money? A lot has been discussed but we need now to focus on how we should improve on Own Source Revenue. We need to be able to tighten legislation, even if it compels us to amend the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, so that even during the time when we are considering this BPS, we have more time to examine it. Fourteen days is a very short time and that is why we are here right now at 8:43 p.m. when other people are at home enjoying dinner and resting with their families. If we had more time, for instance, a month, we would have been able to scrutinize this document. This is the same country where people become overnight millionaires because of corruption and where cartels enjoy confusing people, coming up with policies to flood the market with imported sugar and maize, yet the farmers who they believe in – this is an economy which thrives through agriculture. We are still crawling slowly by slowly to get into the manufacturing sector. So, instead of killing the farmers, the Government should come up with policies that encourage the mopping up of all locally produced products to ensure that when the Ministry of Finance and National Treasury comes up with any policy that allows people to import food so as to ensure food security, they are doing so without creating a food insecure economy. Today, in Trans Mara, Narok County, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir---"
}