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"speaker_name": "Sen. Farhiya",
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"legal_name": "Farhiya Ali Haji",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to contribute. The importance of the Appropriation Bill being passed after the Division of Revenue Bill cannot be overemphasized. The reason why we are in this quagmire is because other people, including us, have money but the counties have been starved. That is the considered view of Members of the Mediation Committee, because they wanted this Bill to go ahead. It should not be a case of once a problem is solved, we move on and do not look back; let it be different this time. We must get a ruling or an opinion on passing the Appropriation Bill when the Division of Revenue Bill has not yet been passed. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not like the idea of the Managed Equipment Services (MES) being discussed by Members of the Mediation Committee, when we know that health is a devolved function. It means that we are relinquishing our role, as Senators, and sharing the role that is not for the other House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not support that recommendation of the 50 per cent to the counties that has been proposed by the two Houses of Parliament. This is because it will create a lull that will postpone the problem. It will not solve the problem because prior to the Appropriation Bill, which is supposed to the passed by April, there is enough time for people, who are reasonable, to discuss and come up with an amicable solution. The 50 per cent that we are sending to the counties is just postponing the problem. I hope that the joint Committee will also discuss the role of the Committee on Finance and Budget on the Budget Policy Statement (BPS). The recommendation of the BPS for the counties was Kshs310 billion. Despite the protests by the Committee that it was below the threshold for the last Financial Year to the National Treasury, our suggestion was put under the table. I wonder why we even discussed the BPS, if the opinion of this House does not even make a difference in terms of how the documents proceeds to the next level. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Senate must be engaged in how the country borrows, because a part of the reason why counties do not have money is the excessive borrowing by the Executive. This House does not have a role on the borrowing by the country, and that is unfortunate because we should have been involved in the distribution of whatever money that is left. The borrowing by the country affects all of us. 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."
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