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{
    "id": 886242,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/886242/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 368,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13219,
        "legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
        "slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
    },
    "content": "We have been talking about giving a role to Senators in oversighting county governments. That is is the debate we have been having in the Senate. I have read through this Bill, there is nowhere this is mentioned, and this would have been a window of opportunity for the Senate, to give a role to Senators to oversight the way this fund will be implemented among our wards. However, that opportunity has been lost. There is something that I keep on wondering about. That we keep on passing legislations but where we get a window of opportunity to re-assert our mandate of oversight, we never take that opportunity. I challenge the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Budget, my good friend, to be a bit innovative in some of these things - you give some role to the Senators so that we are able to provide our Constitutional mandate of oversighting expenditure of money in our counties. Madam Temporary Speaker, as I wind up, there is a danger that again in passage of these Bills, under Clause 18, we have given a leeway to our county governments to make regulations. It is a very wide discretion. Under Clause 18(a), we are saying that:- “the county government can make regulations for criteria for allocation of funds.” That is too wide a mandate. Under that particular Clause, the regulations that will be passed can totally nullify what is provided for in this Bill. That particular provision should not be worded the way it is, if at all this Bill is to be enacted. Finally, Madam Temporary Speaker, we also need to be very careful, that under Article 175, there should be very clear separation of powers between the executive and Members of County Assembly (MCAs). In coming up with this Bill, that should be at the back of our minds. We should not give a lot of leeway to our friends - MCAs, to have a very big say in the allocation of resources and coming up of development projects in our wards, instead of our governors. Madam Temporary Speaker, with those few remarks, it is my view that this Bill requires further consideration. I thank you."
}