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{
    "id": 961996,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/961996/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 223,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding my submissions a few minutes ago, I beg to second this Bill. I wish to enjoin the Chairperson of my Committee and state that we shall move an amendment at the Committee Stage to strike out the figure of Kshs6.2 billion on medical equipment leasing. That is a subject that is very clear on the minds of every Member who is here. It is a subject that is shrouded in mystery. This House has been struggling to get the contracts of the medical leasing but we have not got any idea about them up to date. We saw a number of scandalous items being leased such as disposable syringes, hand gloves, trays and all manner of things and this House should not condone that. The records are there for colleagues who were not in the last Senate. I know that my brother from Marsabit County and Sen. Dullo remembers what was tabled in this House and it shocked everybody. We cannot allow our counties to lease disposable syringes, hand gloves, trays and wooden chairs if we are indeed protecting counties. I also enjoin my Chairperson and the Mover of the Bill to state that we are not just banding around the figure of Kshs335 billion. We are in conformity with the recommendations of the Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA). Their recommendations are the ones that guide the sharing of revenue. Article 218 of the Constitution is clear that one has to give reasons for deviating from the recommendations of CRA. I have looked at the Bill from the National Assembly and there are no reasons. They are just playing “the money or the box” game that we see on television and we cannot play such kind of a game with Kenyans. The CRA appeared before the Senate and they repeatedly appeared before the Committee on Finance and Budget and they said that collectable revenue increased substantially from the previous financial year to this financial year. As we debate this Bill, I want Members to be clear in their minds. There is no level of Government that gives money to another. That money is revenue shared between the two levels of government and revenue collected from people that we represent in this House. The Council of Governors should know and they should speak loudly that there is no gift of money coming from the national Government to them, neither is there any gift of money coming from the counties to the national Government. The money belongs to the people of Kenya and it is constitutionally and legally shared between the two levels of Government. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, so that we do not belabour the matter because this matter has been before us so many times, I would want to encourage that as we debate this, Members should not shy away from expressing their disgust and revulsion at the conduct of the ‘Lower House’ in handling this Bill. Yet, they go out there and want to be holier than the Senate and say that it is the Senate that is dragging this matter. The Senate is not, has not and will not drag any matter. It is in our interest to see counties working, developing and people in the counties getting medication, good roads, water and so on. Never mind the issues of accountability. We are not dealing with issues of corruption in the counties; we are dealing with the constitutional principle of sharing of 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."
}