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{
    "id": 937991,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/937991/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 139,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mandera North, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Major (Rtd.) Bashir S. Abdullaih",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13417,
        "legal_name": "Bashir Sheikh Abdullah",
        "slug": "bashir-sheikh-abdullah"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. First and foremost, I second the Bill. The Equalisation Fund Bill, 2019 is an Act of Parliament to operationalise Article 204 of the Constitution which seeks to establish structures for administering the Equalization Fund. The aim of this Bill is to operationalise the Equalisation Fund. As we all know, the Constitution provides for the Equalisation Fund. The most unfortunate part is that the operationalisation of the Fund has not taken effect. The time the drafters of this Constitution had in mind was for the Fund to be used for 20 years. We have already done 10 years in terms of time. But in terms of usage of the Fund, it is almost zero. We are left with another 10 years. The funds for provision of those services are available because they are protected by the Constitution. Every year, that money is appropriated and kept aside for this work but nothing is happening. How is it being used? It is being used for administration. The principal secretaries who are supposed to provide services using the Equalisation Fund meet during retreats and tours of the counties. Shockingly, how can you use Kshs1 billion worth of funds for administration? The Executive mandarins who are supposed to oversee this Fund are comfortable because that pays their allowances and travel expenses. The Kshs1 billion of the Fund is used for administration. That was not the intention of the framers of the Constitution when they decided that the Equalisation Fund is supposed to be operationalised. This Bill talks about the board. Currently, there is no board. It only comprises of the PSs in the ministries of the National Treasury; Water, Sanitation and Irrigation and Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. As they meet, they will assume that this is the normal budgetary system that they are undergoing. To them, they would rather have the Fund remain without a board so that they can continue administering the funds as they wish. If we had a board just like the NG-CDF where there is a Chairman, members and a CEO, everything would move smoothly. This Bill has come at the right time even though it is very late. It should have come in the last Parliament. Nevertheless, better late than never! The membership of the board is about 10 members, including the chairman. That means we will have a board which will be accountable to the Parliament of Kenya. As it is now, with no board, there is no accountability. If the board is operationalised, instituted and in office, this House - which is the representative of the people of Kenya - will have a say in its management. 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."
}