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{
    "id": 911685,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/911685/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 625,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13156,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo-jnr"
    },
    "content": "it is Makueni, the people of Makueni in a certain ward have said we want “X”, “Y” or “Z” done. The county assembly appropriates, a plan is made and bills of quantities are done. Therefore, that project is not Professor Kivutha Kibwana’s project. Why would it stall? Why would the next governor of Makueni abandon a project which was started by the people, not by the governor? The governor is the person who is executing. It is a fundamental concept which must be addressed. I am glad that Sen. (Eng.) Maina is sitting here because he is a contractor. What method is being used to cost projects to the extent that you start a project today, it is varied to such a large extent that you do not know what it was meant to be initially? That function in the Public Finance Management Act (PFM) that mandates every procuring entity not to value a contract by 15 per cent is just academic. Governors have varied contracts; county executives are varying contracts to a very large extent. Where did these bad manners begin? It began with the Galana Kulalu Irrigation Project. I am glad the Senator of Tana River County is here. That is not just a white elephant, that is a monster, a dinosaur created in his county; cheating by the national Government - Kshs6 billion down the drain. If you do the mathematics, was the money allocated for that project spent? No. That money was stolen. So, we are doing big projects which are called headquarter projects in counties. These ambiguous things they put in programmes that nobody understands and then they pilfer the money, and nobody knows. So, the recommendation by Sen. Kibiru which says: “Ensure that all the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP’s) and Annual Development Plans (ADPs) are aligned to Vision 2030 in terms of monitoring, and evaluation”, there must be a fund in every project for monitoring and evaluation at the national level. Secondly, they recommend that we should address pending bills by prioritizing their payment, creating clear timeframes and publishing a schedule of payment. This means that at the end of every term, a governor will create pending bills. I would have recommended no pending bills. I would have recommended that they ensure that all projects are completed by the time they leave office. If they are not completed, there should be a report of why they were not completed and no payment should be made until every project is complete. They also recommend that we should prioritize the completion of stalled development projects prior to undertaking or funding new projects. That is the other contradiction. Assuming that the next governor is Sen. Kibiru and he finds stalled projects, will he complete them without starting new ones yet he has promised roads, dispensaries, and Early Childhood Development (ECDs)? He will not. It is just human. Madam Temporary Speaker, you are going to start by pleasing the people who voted for you. Projects should not stall. Can we start a new standard in this country of doing the right things? I said these stalled projects, pending bills, own source revenue and debts are a euphemism for corruption. The minute you allow governors to create pending bills, to create an avenue for stalled projects, you are going to find 100 stalled projects which you must complete, and you do not know where the money has gone. You will fire fight like one governor I know in the North Rift who is busy firefighting throughout because the previous governor hired relatives and commissioned projects just a month before elections. He does not know whether to fire the workers or"
}