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{
    "id": 916164,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/916164/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui Central, WDM-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Makali Mulu",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1955,
        "legal_name": "Benson Makali Mulu",
        "slug": "benson-makali-mulu"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. You have put it right that we are in the Second Reading. The Second Reading is not just debate. At the end of the day we will vote “yes” or “no”. The issue of the money for the Senate has been clearly explained by Hon. Mbadi, Hon. Millie and the Chairman. This money was there this year and we removed it during the Supplementary Estimates. The reason we removed it is because of what is written in this amendment - “subject to regulations”. From my experience, we are likely to be doing the same towards the end of next year. We have given the National Treasury the responsibility of preparing the regulations. We have pushed the ball to their court. We are the people who are expected to use the money. The way we have framed this conditional appropriation might cause problems. We are saying that we want to achieve something that we might not be able to. Nevertheless, I do not want to dwell on that one. I want to make the following observation. Looking at where we started from the Budget Policy Statement to the Estimates, the Committee of Supply and now we are at the Appropriation Bill stage, I get concerned when I see that we are still making amendments. As we move to the future, we will need to avoid this scenario. I have been in the Budget and Appropriations Committee for the last five years. What is happening today has never happened before. Never have we made amendments at the Appropriation Bill level. I do not know what I would say. The consultations are coming in too late. At the end of the day, they make the budget and planning process a bit complicated. I urge the National Treasury, our Parliamentary Budget Office and the Budget and Appropriations Committee that we make all our final decisions at the level of the Committee of Supply. When it comes to this level, it should just be a matter of passing the Bill and getting the Act. Allowing amendments at this stage is not good practice. It will not be good for the House. As Hon. Mbadi said, we agreed on Kshs200 million for this item where we have put Kshs50 million in the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and now we see that it has been reduced to Kshs50 million. The question is: Who reduced it to Kshs50million? It might now open some window for people to start thinking that the budget-making process has become an individual exercise other than the House activity. I just want to make that observation as we move to the future because it is important. I agree with the amendment. Let us have this item 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."
}