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{
    "id": 959329,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/959329/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 99,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13156,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo-jnr"
    },
    "content": "agreed on. The statements of the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader are very clear on the issues that lead to the agreement on the Kshs316.5 billion; I will not bother with those details. I only want to say the following. First, we also agreed that the framework of determining what will happen to the Division of Revenue, the impasse and agreement such as this one. We, as a Committee, have agreed that the Committee on Finance and Budget will forward a proposal so that we can have 50 per cent of the last allocation given to counties prior to the agreement and sorting out of the impasse. Second, this impasse has brought to forth the contradiction between Article 218 and Article 221 of the Constitution. That contradiction must be resolved. If we do not resolve it, next year, we will have another collision with the National Assembly on the Division of Revenue. Third, with the regard to Budget Policy Statement, the Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Budget, Sen. (Eng.) Mahamud and Kimani Ichung’wa, the Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Appropriations of the National Assembly, have agreed that we will find a framework of agreeing at the Budget Policy Statement stage a joint report. I can say this with a straight face that the National Treasury has been playing Parliament. The National Treasury has been sending information to us in a way that would make us clash. Sen. Sakaja can confirm that our budget office has been giving the National Assembly and the Senate different briefs. Mr. Speaker, Sir, by strange luck, the brief for the National Assembly was given to us, and the brief to the Senate to them. We saw what they said. There are certain fundamental problems in Parliament, which includes the people who advise us. The people who advise us are pushing us into a collision course. If these offices are meant to help Parliament, they cannot be giving different opinions. We should insist that the Parliamentary Budget Office give one opinion. If it is the Directorate of Legal Services of Parliament, they should give one opinion. This is the same problem that we had in the Land Value Index mediation where the National Assembly and the Senate all had a different version from the Directorate of Legal Services. The question was whether it should be a Land Index (Law) Bill or a Land Value (Amendment) Bill. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the lessons have been learnt. For those who thought we cowed, we did not. We just took a tactical retreat so that we go back to the Division of Revenue. For those who spend time with the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), tell them that the most important thing for this country is Division of Revenue. The thing that has divided this nation is not tribalism, but people sitting in a room somewhere and deciding how the national cake should be divided. We must tell the Executive from where they are that the division of revenue should be decided on the Floor of the Senate and the Floor of the National Assembly. It will never be in State House, Harambee House, the Annexes of Harambee House or any other place. It is Parliament. If the Senate and the National Assembly cede ground, we will go back to those days when the national cake was decided at night. That will be the end of devolution. I have seen the ghost of 1966. It will come through the division of revenue because they will divide everything and leave you with the spoils. A very simple aspect of this Division of Revenue Bill version says as follows in Clause 5: 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."
}