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{
    "id": 886679,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/886679/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 349,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Mahamud",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 373,
        "legal_name": "Mohammed Maalim Mahamud",
        "slug": "mohammed-mahamud"
    },
    "content": "Part III (12) says that:- “Funds allocated for a project shall only be reallocated for any other project during the financial year with the approval of the county assembly.” The county executive cannot then reallocate funds midstream after a project has already approved by the county assembly under the appropriation act. Madam Temporary Speaker, this Bill is a great improvement from what we had earlier. In fact, the concern was that we were going to create something like the National Government - County Development Fund (NG-CDF) which gives the representatives of the people mandate to implement projects thus creating a conflict of interest between legislators and the implementers. However, these projects are actually identified by the residents with the help of the county executive. The leadership can have input when they participate in the public participation. It is ensured that the projects are implemented by the implementing agencies that are the county executive. The county assembly’s role is to make sure that the criteria is approved by them. Once the projects are approved in the budget, they are implemented and there is no disruption in terms of funding. Madam Temporary Speaker, a county budget or plan under the County Governments Act for the PFM Act dealing with allocation of resources shall clearly indicate the manner in which the resources have been equitably distributed across the wards in the county. A county assembly shall not approve a county plan or budget that does not comply with this section. A county assembly may amend a county plan for the development expenditure in a county budget in order to ensure equitable allocation of resources across the wards. In our view as a Committee, we think this Bill attempts to create a framework for decentralising further the county functions. It is a step in the right direction. Many people are waiting for the passage of this Bill. In the original form that was brought by our colleague from Murang’a, the proposed law was similar to what was in the NG-CDF. This is a great improvement. The only thing it does is to ensure that we implement the requirements of the Constitution; Articles 174, 175 and 175 in terms of decentralising further. Madam Temporary Speaker, this is in our view a good Bill. Members have got it and everybody should be able to look at it. We need to debate it a while, so that we enrich it. By the time it is put to the vote, it will be a move in the right direction that can help us decentralise our resources further. There are concerns that 15 per cent is very minimal money. The other concerns is that 15 per cent is too much in the light of the fact that some counties have very little money for development because their wage bill is very high. Nonetheless, this is a very good Bill. Madam Temporary Speaker, with those very many remarks, I beg to move an ask Sen. Malalah of Kakamega County to second."
}