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{
    "id": 920368,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/920368/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 312,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ochillo-Ayacko",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 347,
        "legal_name": "Ochilo George Mbogo Ayacko",
        "slug": "ochilo-ayacko"
    },
    "content": "other people; it is about persuading people and solving problems. You cannot do that by chest thumping and abusing others. On our behalf, Sen. (Dr.) Zani has appreciated the importance of regulating the collection of revenue. In fact, all nations have been built on the basis of revenue and not donations or Harambee . A nation that is able to efficiently collect sufficient revenues and account for it will prosper. When the NARC Government came to the fore during the tenure of President Mwai Kibaki, this country used to realise a revenue collection of about Kshs144 billion. The country was facing difficulties at that time because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) had refused to give us money. We had been made to believe that our development depended on borrowing from the IMF and the WB, and that we could not sustain our own development. However, President Kibaki embarked on ensuring that the KRA became efficient in the collection of revenue. The KRA expanded the revenue net and minimised seepage, pilferage and looting of revenue. That helped the revenue collection to astronomically increase from the paltry Kshs140 billion to nearly what it is today. When the current administration took over, they found a very healthy national Treasury and a good kitty. That is the basis upon which they used to borrow money from China. It is the basis upon which infrastructure such as the Thika Super Highway and other forms of infrastructure were built. They were built from own-generated revenues at the national level, and not from what was borrowed. That good design and philosophy must take root in the counties. That is why I am happy to be associated with this proposed amendment, as proposed by Sen. (Dr.) Zani. I believe that our 47 county governments have a lot to learn from what the KRA and the national Treasury have been doing. Madam Temporary Speaker, the national Treasury has been around for nearly 50 years, while the county governments are just setting up. Therefore, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. It is always good and wise to learn from those who have travelled a similar journey. When you do that, you get to know where they made mistakes, and where they are doing well; which makes travelling easy. This amendment will ensure that county governments have a system of revenue collection that is similar to the one that is there nationally. It is true that we do have shortcomings at the national level. I recently read somewhere that revenue collection at the national level is dominated by one ethnic group, and I hope that we will not import such bad behaviours to the counties. We must recognize and appreciate diversity of gender, religion, culture and age in order for us to have a revenue collection system that is reflective of our diversity. It should not be dominated by people from a particular sector as opposed to having everybody represented in that area. Madam Temporary Speaker, I agree in totality that the county governments must have a revenue collection system. That system must be efficient, impervious or impenetrable to people who are hell bent on carrying out fraudulent activities, or people who want to steal from the public when collecting revenue. The stability of county governments and the sustainability of devolution should be founded on own-source revenue. We will have sustainable counties if our devolved units are able to collect sufficient revenue, look after it and deploy it properly for the public intent. Countries that 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."
}