{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137832","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137830","results":[{"id":1394721,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394721/?format=json","text_counter":439,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Peter Kaluma","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":1565,"legal_name":"George Peter Opondo Kaluma","slug":"george-peter-opondo-kaluma"},"content":" Next is Hon. (Dr) Wilberforce Oundo."},{"id":1394722,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394722/?format=json","text_counter":440,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Funyula, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity to comment on the Division of Revenue Bill, which will eventually become the Division of Revenue Act (DoRA). From the outset, I support the Bill on the vertical sharing of revenue between the two levels of government. This is on the account of surpassing the threshold set in the Constitution of Kenya and on understanding that the purpose of devolution was development and empowerment of the grassroots and the promotion of equitable share of development in this country. We need to be extremely careful with how we deal with devolution. We started with District Forecast for Rural Development and have come through various forms. The NG-CDF is a form of devolved function, same as the Equalisation Fund and others. The question which policy researchers or bold persons have not asked is the impact of the billions we have pumped into devolved units since their inception after the 2013 general election. In the 2024/2025 Financial Year, Parliament approved 24.9 per cent of revenue after adopting the Report of the Public Accounts Committee of the 2020/2021 Financial Year. I have gone through policy prescriptions by the Budget and Appropriations Committee and some of them are a sad read while some are an admission of the factors we have been talking about on the Floor of the House and in public arenas. It is something the Government of the day has strenuously..."},{"id":1394723,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394723/?format=json","text_counter":441,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Peter Kaluma","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":1565,"legal_name":"George Peter Opondo Kaluma","slug":"george-peter-opondo-kaluma"},"content":" Order, Hon. Oundo. Could the Chairperson and the Deputy Leader of the Majority Party approach the Chair? Proceed, Hon. Oundo. 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":1394724,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394724/?format=json","text_counter":442,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Funyula, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo","speaker":null,"content":" As we have said, the economy is in trouble. But we have continuously been told that that is Azimio propaganda. We have been told that the economy is on a rebound and not a recession. Policy Prescription No.9 on Page 397 says, “to increase national Government expenditure for the purpose of debt servicing coupled with the weakening shilling against the dollar.” The Budget and Appropriations Committee, in its considered wisdom and having benefited from consultation from the National Treasury, the Parliamentary Budget Office and other stakeholders, have acknowledged that our shilling will remain weak for the intervening period during the implementation of this budget. They have clearly depicted the weakening shilling against the dollar. With a typical escapist mentality, they blame Ukraine, the Federal Reserve and all possible excuses. They are also indicating financing constraints due to limited access to finance in the domestic and international financial market. Are they admitting that our sovereign risk is negative to an extent that we are unable to attract revenue from international financiers? We must address what happened to Ksh4.6 billion of the AMISOM grant. Where is it factored? Do they intend to factor it in conditional grants? We need to revisit the issue of county governments which were supposed to be revenue generating centres and not cost centres. As much as they are seeking for enhanced allocation from the National Treasury, the overriding and overarching question Kenyans need to ask is what county governments are doing to collect and boost their revenue. If you read today's newspaper, almost 60 per cent of counties spend on foreign and local travel exceeding their local revenue collection. Essentially, the purpose and spirit of devolution is being devoured and obliterated by members of county assemblies and executive officials for personal benefit, and not that of the people. Every year we pump billions into county governments. This year, Ksh391 billion has been allocated to county governments. Since devolution, to what extent have these billions changed the welfare of the local mwananchi per capita income? To what extent has it improved the health index of the people in the counties? Is it time for the KRA, the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPRA), and other think tanks to start charging for services in counties and submit funds based on charged services? Of 100 per cent of the funds allocated to counties, what percentage is allocated to development? If you sampled a few of the counties, you will be lucky to find more than 20 per cent allocated to the development vote. Most of it goes to personal emolument, recurrent expenditure, and of course, money to play around with. We must protect devolution. This cannot be done by sweeping the ills that were caused by devolution under the carpet in the guise of being politically correct. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of Controller of Budget, continuously highlight these issues. But since we are completely toothless, we have been unable to address these challenges. Finally, on the Road Maintenance Levy Fund Act, the classification of roads in this country is very clear. The county governments receive their own money. What do they do with that money? In most rural areas, you will only find motorable roads that have been constructed by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA). Very few kilometres of tarmac roads have been undertaken by county governments. We support county governments and devolution, but as we embark on the second phase of devolution, it is time we started asking hard and important questions. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand hoping things will remain as they are. I am waiting to see what the Senators who go around making noise will say. I want to see who will defend devolution and who will continue to suppress it. With those few remarks, I support."},{"id":1394725,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394725/?format=json","text_counter":443,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Peter Kaluma","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":1565,"legal_name":"George Peter Opondo Kaluma","slug":"george-peter-opondo-kaluma"},"content":" Hon. Gitonga Murugara."},{"id":1394726,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394726/?format=json","text_counter":444,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Tharaka, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. George Murugara","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the Division of Revenue Bill which will be an Act of Parliament as 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":1394727,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394727/?format=json","text_counter":445,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Tharaka, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. George Murugara","speaker":null,"content":"soon as it is assented to by the President. We have received a comprehensive Report from the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I thank the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro. It is a task to prepare a report that, in essence, divides revenue between the two levels of government. This is the gross revenue of the country. The first appropriation goes to the counties. The remainder belongs to the national Government."},{"id":1394728,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394728/?format=json","text_counter":446,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Tharaka, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. George Murugara","speaker":null,"content":"I implore the national Government to ensure that once it gets its allocation of money, it is utilised well, especially in development of the country. It has to be equitable. They should prioritise the rural constituencies like Tharaka Constituency which lag behind in development matters simply because they are arid, semi-arid and marginalised. We also require services from the national Government, including water, electricity and good roads."},{"id":1394729,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394729/?format=json","text_counter":447,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Tharaka, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. George Murugara","speaker":null,"content":"The county governments are also very important. They must use these resources for the benefit of the citizens of various counties. Today, many counties are a haven of corruption. Money is used in the worst methods that can be applied. There are complaints all over not only on recurrent expenses which are overflowing, but also revenues being lost and misused. As a result, citizens do not get the services they deserve. Counties must wake up and ensure that provision of healthcare is given the priority it deserves. Citizens in the villages access healthcare in the dispensaries and health centres which are under the county governments. They also have to construct their portions of the roads. They were craving for the KeRRA money. Fortunately, it was protected by the Budget and Appropriations Committee. In spite of that, they now have an extra Ksh4 billion which they can use for roads. They are pathetic in the rural areas. The county governments must use these funds prudently. These resources come from taxpayers. They are the ones who have mostly contributed to the money we are dividing. In addition to these funds, there are grants and some borrowed money to patch up the gaps. All these call for prudence in the use of public resources. We will approve this Bill today, so that the revenue is divided. However, we call upon the two levels of government to exercise optimum responsibility to ensure that the money is used properly. Hon. Temporary Speaker, with those remarks, I beg to support the Bill."},{"id":1394730,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394730/?format=json","text_counter":448,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Peter Kaluma","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":1565,"legal_name":"George Peter Opondo Kaluma","slug":"george-peter-opondo-kaluma"},"content":" Hon. Andrew Okuome Adipo, Member for Karachuonyo."}]}