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{
    "id": 983271,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/983271/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1835,
        "legal_name": "Anthony Kimani Ichung'Wah",
        "slug": "anthony-kimani-ichungwah"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for the protection. It is important for the House to note that the figure of Kshs316.5 billion going towards the shareable revenue between the two Governments, is the same figure we have in the current Financial Year 2019/2020. This year, we must appreciate the work that has been done by the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) chaired by the Deputy President. That is because this year, they consulted with the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), the Council of Governors (CoG) and all the other stakeholders and agreed on the figure. Unlike what Hon. Junet has said, we had a very protracted battle last year which went into mediation all the way to August and this interfered with how counties delivered services. This year, we are fortunate that, under IBEC, they have settled on this figure of Kshs316.5 billion. We are in the era of discussing shareable revenue under the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). It is important for me to mention that the shareable revenue… I want to commend the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) because his Committee has approved the audited accounts up to the Financial Year 2016/17. Therefore, the percentage of shareable revenue that is going to the counties is based on the Financial Year 2016/17 audited and approved revenues of Kshs1,357,698,000,000. That constitutes 23.31 per cent of our national revenue. Therefore, we are within the threshold that has been set of a minimum of 15 per cent in the Constitution. If we include conditional grants and other allocations, the figure moves to about 27.24 per cent. Therefore, we are safely within the 15 per cent that is provided for under the Constitution. I am just noting that because we are in this conversation and I know the BBI Taskforce has now retreated to do the report. Financial matters cannot be canvassed in rallies or public gatherings. We must be careful even as the Committee retreats to note that, in this Financial Year, we are working with a figure of between 23-27 per cent, including the conditional allocations. The proposals I have heard in rallies and elsewhere have been a minimum of 35 per cent and others as high as 45 per cent. It is good for everybody to demand a share, but it is not enough to just set the percentages. We must allow the National Treasury and public finance experts to sit down and clearly calculate what is practically possible under our current economic status. Today, if we were to approve the requests coming under the BBI Initiative of 35 per cent, then, in the Division of Revenue Bill this year, we would be 12 per cent short of what would be 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."
}