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{
    "id": 886261,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/886261/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 387,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "In my county, a decision was made to build a tarmac road from one corner of a constituency to another corner of another constituency at a budget of Kshs500 million. One example is Gendia Road that starts from Gendia to Kadongo, which traverses two constituencies and goes through about three wards and that will cost of Kshs500 million. However, when you go to Suba Constituency, not a single shilling has been set aside to build a tarmac road. Those are the kind of feelings that make (MCAs) feel that they need protection from the Senate. We are saying that not less than 15 per cent of the development budget should go to wards but we must remember that all development takes place in wards. The only problem is that some wards are getting much more, just like some areas get Kshs64 billion for dams yet others get nothing. I believe that the essence of this Bill is to ensure that the 15 per cent meant for development is spread out using a formula that counties will be advised by the CRA. My county has a budget of Kshs8 billion and probably many other counties have got an annual budget and revenue of Kshs8 billion. The PFM Act says that not more than 70 per cent of the budget should go into recurrent expenditure. Therefore, generally counties have about 30 per cent of the revenue that goes into development. A county that gets Kshs8 billion would have about Kshs2.4 billion for development. If you do the maths, 15 per cent of Kshs2.4 billion is Kshs360 million. So the amount that will go to the wards is Kshs360 million out of the Kshs8 billion. If you have about 40 wards, that is about Kshs9 million per ward. I urge MCAs not to promise the moon or the world because. Even though my colleague, Sen. Farhiya, said that Kshs9 million or whatever amount is a lot of money, it will cause them serious problems. Remember this is supposed to be development spending. If you use Kshs9 million on recurrent expenditure, you can get away with a lot of things but if you use Kshs9 million on development, you can build nine Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) classes. Therefore, you will not need to build other ECDE classes the following year and probably the priority would be a road. What road will you fix with Kshs9 million? If the next priority is water, what kind of water service provision would Kshs9 million do? Maybe you can drill a borehole but you will not be able to do the piping. Residents could require a dam. In Kenya, a dam costs Kshs64 billion. So, what would Kshs9 million do for you? Madam Temporary Speaker, I urge MCAs to take away the notion that this will be their money for them to distribute as they wish because that is the story they have been telling people on the ground, which is unfortunate. In fact, they have been very much in solidarity with the Senate. When you go to a fundraiser, the story would be told of the kind of talents or endowment that elected leaders have been given. They know that the governor has been given billions, the woman representative has a Fund, the Member of Parliament in the National Assembly remote controls the NG-CDF. It is only the MCA and the Senator without any money. They have been telling people that very soon they will have Ward Fund and very soon people will start seeing"
}