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{
    "id": 977768,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/977768/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 187,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. A.B. Duale (",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Garissa Township, JP): What is out of order? Anyway, pending bills must be paid. The President of the Republic of Kenya, in June last year in Narok, gave a directive to that effect. The Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) and the people of Kenya are suffering. Houses are being auctioned. People are unable to take their children to school because of the pending bills especially by county governments. Today, the County Secretary of Isiolo and two of his finance officers have been issued with summons because of pending bills. People in this country are suffering. When you do not pay your pending bills, you affect the liquidity in the country, growth of the economy, cash flow, growth of small industries and employment of young people. I want the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning to direct their accounting officers to enforce this order. I remember the President put his foot down. County governments that do not pay pending bills must be held accountable. There are people who were worth Ksh20 million to Kshs30 million before devolution and were doing very well, but today, they are paupers. We cannot grow our economy when we are killing small and medium traders. The KRA is also not collecting money as it is required. People are asking why their collection is very low. Pending bills have not been paid. People are not doing business as it was before. I think the Chair of the Budget and Appropriation Committee brought their Report and the House approved that within 60 days that pending bills must be paid. That was in December. I think the Committee on Implementation must take charge of that matter. The resolutions of the House must be acted on. Finally, all cabinet secretaries must comply with Article 153(4). A few cabinet secretaries have complied with this Article of the Constitution which says that cabinet secretaries shall provide Parliament with full and regular reports concerning matters under their control. The President of the Republic of Kenya in his State of the Nation Address every year complies with the Constitution. After his Address, he delivers certain reports and documents to the two Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate. He delivers reports on the state of the national security, the fulfilment of Article 10 of the Constitution on national values and the foreign policy of his Government. How is it that there are cabinet secretaries who were appointed in 2013 and to today, they have not complied with Article 153 of the Constitution? Let me make it very clear and go on record of the Hansard that, that alone can be an avenue for impeaching a cabinet secretary if they do not know. That is a violation of a provision of the Constitution. I want to thank the cabinet secretaries who comply every year, including last year, and they know themselves. They are Hon. Fred Matiangi, Hon. Macharia for Transport and Infrastructure and Hon. Rachael Omamo formerly of Defence. In fact, they are not more than five. The last Report she sent to Parliament was from Defence. There are cabinet secretaries who have never complied. We are sending a warning to them. We are telling them to do what their boss normally does. The President complies with the provisions of the Constitution. This Committee felt that they must comply. Hon. Speaker, as a Committee, we have agreed that the 14 days window is too short. I confirm to the House that the Legal Department of Parliament has already drafted the amendment to expand the 14 days period to one month, so that we can get more time to vet the nominees. We can do it within 14, 15, 16 or 17 days. In the USA, the Senate can take six months. We have also agreed that institutions like KRA, EACC, HELB and DCI must appear before the Committee. Maybe, the DCI can send the report because he will give you a certificate of good conduct. However, the others need to appear and go on the Hansard record and give us clear and The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}