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{
    "id": 952766,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/952766/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 199,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to second this very important Motion on the County Government Disbursement Schedule for the Financial Year 2019/2020. This is a very important business that we are transacting. After the approval of the disbursement, we, as a House, would have completed a very sacred duty of ensuring that county governments are properly funded and well resourced to execute their mandate as given by the people of Kenya. I will be extremely brief because the Mover has done justice to this Motion by explaining almost all the important highlights. This is a fairly straightforward issue. However, there are two or three things that I would wish to bring to the attention of the House. One of the main reasons why we do this disbursement schedule is to give county governments an idea of when they expect to get whatever amount of money from the National Treasury. That aids them with their budget plans and other developmental programmes. My concern is: What is the compliance level to this schedule that we are passing today? I do not believe that we are doing it just to fulfil a requirement in our Constitution. However, we do it because it is primarily and principally important for our county governments to know by the 30th of February 2020 how much money they would have from the national Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the truth of the matter is that there is still a huge issue to do with compliance. If you speak to officers in charge of county treasuries, they will tell you that in some cases they are four, five or six months behind schedule. Those who are properly schooled in matters finance will tell you that a shilling today is not equal to a shilling tomorrow. There is a huge difference. We, as House, must prevail upon the national Government to expedite and follow the disbursement schedule to the letter. This is an extremely important issue. We see the national Government borrowing to fund mega projects like the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and other infrastructure in the country. However, a time has come where we might consider giving proposals to the National Treasury to set up a devolution fund, so that when it gets to the exact date of disbursement, funds are released to counties without having to wait for collection of revenue as it is the case right now. I do not think it is such a farfetched idea. If we are able to do so, counties can work with a lot of ease rather than having to have CECs come to Nairobi and queue at the office of the Controller of Budget for them to get their resources. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the second Schedule on disbursement of county conditional allocations of revenue raised nationally, there is an allocation of Kshs6.2 billion allocated to lease medical equipment. Much as we may not include it in the 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."
}