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"id": 916156,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/916156/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Suba North, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
"speaker": {
"id": 376,
"legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
"slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
},
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I will limit myself to the issue relating to vote R2041 which is the Senate oversight. I sit in the Budget and Appropriations Committee and we have had a history that when this matter has come before the House, it has either failed or it has been pended somehow. We have had a lengthy discussion with Members and the concern that Members have had, because we have had discussions outside, is actually what has been said by the Leader of the Majority Party and Hon. Mbadi. If you look at the Constitution, you will find that our primary role is legislative, oversight and representation. Currently, if you look at the NG-CDF Act, you will find that the entire amount we have for the year for oversight is Kshs30,000. If you reduce that to a monthly cost it comes to about Kshs2,000 to do oversight on national Government projects because overseeing national Government projects is not even limited to your constituency. We are overseeing the funds relating to national Government but we only have Kshs2,000 a month. Our brothers and sisters in the Senate proposed Kshs500 million which translates to Kshs900,000 per month per Senator. We were saying that if you have Kshs900,000, in principle, we are not opposed to any Member of Parliament including National Assembly or Senate undertaking their oversight role. We support but we must have a regulatory framework, otherwise, people will misuse this money. We are in politics. If you give somebody about Kshs1 million per month with no regulations, that person will determine who will be the governor, the Senator, the women representative, the MP, the MCA, the chief and sub-chiefs including the pastors of that area, and who will be the voter. What we have, therefore, said is because we do not want to perpetually be at war with our brothers, we have agreed in principle that if because they have said they are overseeing counties, this money can be passed but with an amendment that the Chair will move for the Committee that it shall not be disbursed until the CS for National Treasury makes, with the approval of Parliament, regulations to provide a framework for the disbursement of the monies. That is one. I urge Members to listen to me carefully on this. As the Budget and Appropriations Committee, we were of the view that slightly more money or at worst an equivalent amount be given to the National Assembly to also undertake oversight roles. However, I was advised that The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}