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{
    "id": 943028,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/943028/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 178,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "If you go to counties and ask whether citizens feel the impact of devolution, many of them will celebrate because they can see one or two things that have been done. However, many of them know what is happening in our counties. They are aware that a lot of resources we take to the counties end up in the pocket of few well-connected individuals. Until we point out particular individuals and the people who aid them, we will not have lived up to billing as a House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is instructive to note that an audit process only deals with a few samples. For example, if you audit public accounts of Kericho County, chances are when they get to the Roads Department, they will not check 200 or 300 transactions carried out by the Department in the entire financial year. Chances are they will only check three or four. What happens to the rest of the activities that are not captured in the Auditor-General’s report? That brings me to a point that I have been trying to prosecute. I have also prosecuted it with the leadership of this House on many occasions. This is about the role each Senator plays in the audit process of their respective counties. What can they do? They should not just wait for audit reports that are done by our colleagues. When the CPAIC considers audit reports for Kericho County, for example, where the governor paid for a road twice, which is the common practice in counties, the Senator of that county is better placed to point out such mistakes. I have argued that there is need for each Senator to be incorporated in the process. We must device a mechanism where they give their input before the final report gets to the Floor of this House. The Committee should perhaps consider forwarding the reports to our offices. For example, they could inform me about the audit report for Kericho County for FY 2015/2016 and seek my comments before making final recommendations as a Committee. That is one of the avenues. Alternatively, we can think creatively about what else we can do so that the input of the respective Senator is noted. It should not be that we just come to react to reports of the Committee. This is a point I want to emphasis and request that our colleagues consider it. Updating the master rolls of assets of counties is an issue that cuts across all the 20 counties that we are looking at. This is not an issue to be treated casually. It is because between 2013 and 2017. We expected the Transition Authority (TA) to carry out an audit of all the resources that changed hands from the defunct municipal and county councils to the county governments. If there were no updated master rolls, then a lot of public land and assets were lost during the transition period. All it takes is for some crafty fellows to be in a place for 10 years before beginning to build on public land. There is nothing to show even for land that you are sure is public land after checking the updated register of assets of a particular county. The report by the TA was supposed to be presented in the previous term. Unfortunately, we were not supplied with it. As I speak, many Senators in this House cannot tell you the exact level of indebtedness or assets of their counties. They do not know whether all assets, especially land, were transferred during the transition period. We all know the appetite for land by Kenyans and we know what happened during transition period. 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."
}