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{
"id": 1521322,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521322/?format=api",
"text_counter": 203,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Deputy Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The Member for Turkana South, Hon. John Namoit."
},
{
"id": 1521323,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521323/?format=api",
"text_counter": 204,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Turkana South, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. John Namoit",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the matter of the Equalisation Fund. The intention of the Equalisation Fund, as per Article 204 of the Constitution, is to ensure that areas that were marginalised by Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965… The Paper intended to reduce poverty, ignorance, and diseases in this country. Secondly, it was to promote political equity, social justice, and human dignity, to promote equal opportunities, and to enhance high-growing income per capita. That particular Paper concentrated all the resources on productive areas of this country, leaving some areas marginalised. That is why the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, brought in the county governments and the Equalisation Fund to equalise those areas. In addition, the decentralisation of funds was first realised when the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) was introduced as a policy to ensure that some areas of the country are at par with others. I want to identify some grey areas in the Equalisation Fund, which is why this House and the Senate are discussing it. First is the structure of governance of the Equalisation Fund. Articles 204(2) and (4) of the Constitution clearly spell out that the Equalisation Fund falls under the mandate of the national Government. They further state that the national Government can provide basic services directly or indirectly to marginalised areas. I want to state categorically that those are national Government functions delegated to the county governments. The board conducts public participation on the Fund. The Equalisation Fund has a four- tier structure: the Equalisation Advisory Board, the County Technical Committee, the Sub- County Technical Committee, and the Project Identification and Implementation Committee. One cannot know which tier will undertake public participation. I hope the Fund will undertake public participation through the Sub-County Technical Committee. Secondly, the funds for public participation are not remitted to the right Committee because the Advisory Board administers the Fund. When we prepare the regulations for the Fund, we must ensure that the administration of the Fund is also devolved to the three other structures."
},
{
"id": 1521324,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521324/?format=api",
"text_counter": 205,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "[The Deputy Speaker (Hon. Gladys Boss) left the Chair]"
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{
"id": 1521325,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521325/?format=api",
"text_counter": 206,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "[The Temporary Speaker (Hon. Martha Wangari) took the Chair]"
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{
"id": 1521326,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521326/?format=api",
"text_counter": 207,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Turkana South, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. John Namoit",
"speaker": null,
"content": "As a Committee, we saw that it was appropriate for us as an oversight institution not to be included in nominating members to the boards. The previous law had given the Senate authority to nominate a board member. We have stipulated in the current proposal that the oversight body should not have any nominating power. We need to reduce the bureaucracy in the current Equalisation Fund to make it very efficient. The Committee has reduced the four-tier structure of the Equalisation Fund to a three- tier structure, right from the Advisory Board to the County Technical Committee and, finally, to the Sub-County Technical Committee. The Fund has greatly helped marginalised areas. We have done over 30 projects in my constituency under the Equalisation Fund for the Financial Year 2023/2024. Delays in The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1521327,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521327/?format=api",
"text_counter": 208,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Turkana South, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. John Namoit",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Exchequer releases of funds mean that up to now, no projects have been identified in the Financial Year 2024/2025. That is why marginalised areas in this country have not realised the value of the Fund. As I said earlier, Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965 resulted in the marginalisation of certain areas. The Equalisation Fund intended to address that particular Sessional Paper. Unfortunately, this House and the leadership of this country have mutilated the intention of the Fund. Only 14 counties were initially identified as beneficiaries of the Equalisation Fund. However, even Nairobi County is among the current beneficiaries of the Fund. The list of beneficiaries of the Fund under Article 204 of the Constitution was not meant to be diluted. It has now been diluted, and everybody is benefiting. The Fund's intention was not to address the emerging marginalisation. It was to address the matters raised by Article 204 of the Constitution, where only 14 counties would benefit. When the period for the operationalisation of the Fund ends as envisaged in Article 204(6) of the Constitution, I urge this honourable House to assess the impact of the Fund to see whether it has addressed marginalisation. That provision is in Article 204(7) of the Constitution. I beg to support the Report by the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning."
},
{
"id": 1521328,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521328/?format=api",
"text_counter": 209,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Martha Wangari",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13123,
"legal_name": "Martha Wangari",
"slug": "martha-wangari"
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"content": " Hon. Victor Koech."
},
{
"id": 1521329,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521329/?format=api",
"text_counter": 210,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Chepalungu, CCM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Victor Koech",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak about this Bill. At the outset, I support the Bill because it seeks to provide services such as water, roads, electricity, and health facilities to marginalised constituencies to appear equal to other, more developed constituencies. The Bill has delayed because projects were identified a long time ago, and people have asked us, as Members of Parliament, where the Fund went. I had a situation in Cheptagum and Nogirwet villages in my constituency where members were called for public participation, and they came up with reports. It has now been several months, almost close to a year, and the people are still waiting for those funds to reflect in the various accounts so that the projects they identified can be implemented. We speak about marginalisation, and we applaud the drafters of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, for endeavouring to bring parity to different counties and sub-counties. As we seek to do the same, we ask ourselves as Members if this is what we are waiting for so that marginalised constituencies can now compete with immensely developed constituencies. I am bitter because we cannot compare rural constituencies to the town ones. Their electricity connectivity is almost at 99 per cent. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I was with you at the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) offices, seeking a few transformers. As some of us were requesting for transformers, some constituencies were asking for streetlights simply because of the disparities in the budget-making process in this House. It is time we spoke and agreed that the Equalisation Fund is good and will at least bring some development. However, will the Equalisation Fund tip the inequalities that have been meted upon our constituencies for a very long time? For example, in my constituency, there is a road that has stalled for many years now. It has a lower allocation in the budget than roads in other constituencies that have developed over the years. We would like to categorically state that we support this Bill. It is timely and urgent. Therefore, it is time we pass it so that the constituencies that are suffering can benefit from it. However, my sentiments on the issues that touch on our constituencies will always be the same. I wish that the drafters of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, went ahead and highlighted the budget-making process in this House. This is because if we continue treating things normally, this world will not treat us in a normal way. I will continue speaking about the issues The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1521330,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521330/?format=api",
"text_counter": 211,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Chepalungu, CCM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Victor Koech",
"speaker": null,
"content": "of Budget as many times as possible. This is because if we cannot speak about it, no one will do so on behalf of our constituents. I support this Bill. When the time comes, we will discuss issues that touch on our constituencies, especially our needs. I wish that the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 could address the budget-making process, that is, how we prioritise projects and balance the underdeveloped constituencies vis-a-vis the developed ones. How I wish that the Constitution could handle such a variance. I support the Bill and urge that as soon as it is passed, the national Treasury should set aside money for this Fund and transmit it to the various accounts. This will ensure that what the Board had planned is realised, and the value for money is seen. Thank you so much, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
},
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"id": 1521331,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521331/?format=api",
"text_counter": 212,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Martha Wangari",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13123,
"legal_name": "Martha Wangari",
"slug": "martha-wangari"
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"content": " Member for Tigania West, Hon. Mutunga."
}
]
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