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{
"id": 895741,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/895741/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Farhiya",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13179,
"legal_name": "Farhiya Ali Haji",
"slug": "farhiya-ali-haji"
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"content": "What I would like to say, as I always do, is that the amount that is given to the counties should be based on a percentage of the budget, and not on audited accounts. This is because we are still behind in terms of audited accounts. Our sister House has not been fast enough in passing audited accounts so that the amount that is transferred to the counties is increased. As I speak, the amount of Kshs1.7 trillion has been transferred to the counties so far is only 12.8 per cent of the Kshs13.24 trillion, which is the cumulative total amount of money that has been budgeted since FY 2013/2014 up to FY 2018/2019. If I have to take 15 per cent of that money, it comes to almost Kshs2 trillion. To be exact, it is Kshs1.986 trillion. During the referendum or through a constitutional amendment, we should increase the amount of money that goes to devolution. As much as devolution has its own challenges, for some of us who come from regions where not much funds are given, there is at least something on the ground since the inception of devolution. If we had allocated 45 per cent of the budget of this country, by now we would have transferred a whopping Kshs6 trillion to the counties. To be precise, it would have been Kshs5.958 trillion. As you are aware, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) cover 80 per cent of the landmass of this country. There has not been much investment in those areas because of the famous Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965. Right now, if we are serious about food security, then this is the right time to invest in those areas. Give a special fund to those areas, so that they can develop faster and grow enough food. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thanks to my position in the Senate, I have visited other counties and seen what is happening with agricultural land. For example, the acreage of land in the predominantly agriculture areas is shrinking by the day and very soon all the agricultural land will, probably, be replaced by settlement. However, if there was more investment in those ASAL areas, for example, doing simple things like provision of water in terms of either big dams for enough rain water collection, boreholes and even piped water from the seasonal rivers that we have, this country would not only be food secure, but would have enough to export to other countries. Let me take the example of dates. Saudi Arabia and other places that grow dates have, probably, the same temperatures like North Eastern Kenya. Dates would easily grow in our counties had there been enough investment. To add on that, if we exported enough, we would save the money we use to importof the dates. We would then export the surplus to our neighbouring countries. The other thing that I appreciate the President for is the affordable housing. He said that they will create an opportunity for the local industry in terms of ring-fencing certain components such as doors and windows. This will be exclusively bought from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This is commendable for our President and his Government. It will greatly empower the local youth artisans and the jua kali industry. However, the Government needs to ensure that this is not taken over by cartels, who will take away these businesses from the local industry. Otherwise, it will hamper the initiative that the Government has to ensure that this people grow yet they contribute greatly to the industry. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}