{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137833","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137831","results":[{"id":1394731,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394731/?format=json","text_counter":449,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Karachuonyo, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Adipo Okuome","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute. I support this Bill. Revenue is divided between the national Government and county governments. Are we comfortable that the money sent to these two levels of government give us results? Does it do exactly what we want? I have my reservations. In the national Government, the money is released to the various entities a little too late. Sometimes, they do not get funds at all within the financial year. For example, the money meant for the National Government Constituencies Development Fund. We all know in this House that we are about three months to the end of the financial year, yet we have not received even 50 per cent of that money. When will we get it? Will it meet the purpose it was meant for within the required time? We should be talking of different funds allotment in the next financial year. If things were being done the right way by using the money allocated, pending bills should not find their ugly heads in our financial operations. We need to know why all these things are happening. I will now comment on the county governments. The purpose of devolution was to bring development to various areas within the country. However, this money is released to the counties very late. Sometimes, part of it may not reach the destination. Because of this, some government sectors suffer, for example, the health sector. Doctors are on strike. The Ministry of Health cannot afford to pay intern doctors their stipend. Why should this happen? Why has the money not been released to the Ministry, so that it can do its work? 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":1394732,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394732/?format=json","text_counter":450,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Karachuonyo, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Adipo Okuome","speaker":null,"content":"Both county governments and national Government projects are not well-funded. A project has an allocation, but no performance. In my constituency, there is a road that is always allocated funds in the budget. I draw the attention of the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee to this matter. I had consulted him earlier, but I have not followed up. The truth is that I have a project which is allocated funds very well, but no action is taken. This is the second or third year it is allocated funds in the budget. However, it has never been done. I have made as much noise on this matter as I could. Even His Excellency, the President, has given several promises to my constituents. He told them that the road will be constructed. Money is allocated in the Budget. However, in action, we do not know where it goes, and the project is not actualised. Budgeting is for a purpose. You budget to enable you do what you want to do. If you provide a budget to do something, but you do not do it, something is definitely wrong. I long for the day when we will budget and act on it to the letter, so that we can give Kenyans the benefits they need from this House. This is because budgeting, allocating and approving ways of sourcing for funds is the responsibility of this House. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker."},{"id":1394733,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394733/?format=json","text_counter":451,"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, it is always great to listen to you on financial matters. Thank you very much. Next is Hon. Beatrice Elachi."},{"id":1394734,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394734/?format=json","text_counter":452,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dagoretti North, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Beatrice Elachi","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I also rise to support the Division of Revenue Bill. We have just concluded the BPS. The memorandum of this Bill is very clear: based on Article 218 of the Constitution, we should divide resources vertically, both at the national and county levels. This year, the chairperson took us through a well itemised BPS. Then, we agreed to come and look at the Division of Revenue Bill. We should ask ourselves as a country... As we look at this bill, I know it will go to the Senate. Then, we will find ourselves in the crisis we normally do in terms of resources. This is based on what the CRA has given us and what we propose as a House. This Bill is important because it ensures money is efficiently utilised. In the BPS, we indicated very well what the Auditor-General will do. She is now going around various sectors to ensure they prudently spend the money given to them. We are having crises, for example, in the education sector, where capitation has decreased. As we debate this Bill, I want counties to tell us what they have been doing for the last ten years. Each county should give us a blueprint that shows... So, as a country, we can align ourselves based on Vision 2030. They should show us what they have done with the resources given to them. Therefore, I plead and ask the Senate that, as they push for more resources, it is time we see growth in our counties. This is not just about the accountability aspect, where sectors appear before committees. We have to know how counties utilise money given to them. Hon. Temporary Speaker, if we do not push for this, our country will have a lot of wealth, but the poverty levels will be high, and so the youth, women, and hustlers will continue to struggle. As we debate the Division of Revenue Bill 2024, it is important for us, as a country, to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, even as we put measures in place to ensure we are paying debt, how is the revenue given to our constituencies utilised? Even as we divide resources among ourselves, can we account for them? The same resources are so overstretched that Kenyans are left wondering. Something else we must be clear about as we appropriate this money is the new funds being created. The word 'fund' worries me because we are creating a fund for everything. We are a capitalist country, and we have to be very wary of this. If we continue with these funds, we shall find ourselves slowly slipping into a socialist country and in a confused situation. This is because we are creating a fund for everything we come up with. Yes, as we create them in Parliament, our intentions are good, but questions about their implementation will come back to bite this House. We shall be asked about a certain fund, and our answer shall be, 'We do not 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":1394735,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394735/?format=json","text_counter":453,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dagoretti North, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Beatrice Elachi","speaker":null,"content":"know.' Then we will ask the EACC to find out. This has to stop because Kenyans want to see change. So, how will we bring about change? I have seen that counties have been allocated Ksh391.1 billion for the financial year 2024-2025 from revenue that is raised nationally. After ten years of devolution, we need to know the revenue raised locally in one day. So, as we share our national revenue, at the end of the year, we know county X... Let me give an example of Nairobi County, where at one time, Kidero collected Ksh13 billion, and Sonko also tried. This county can collect between Ksh30 billion and Ksh80 billion if revenue streams are put to proper use. At one point, we had more than 2,000 revenue streams, and some individuals had passwords for these accounts. So, a governor had no idea how much revenue was collected locally. I want to plead with my governor for the first time to call Members of Parliament from Nairobi County and sit down with them after passing the Division of Revenue Bill. This is so that he can tell us how much is going to each constituency and for what activities. This is because the more we work together, the more I appreciate it when I see how members of Parliament from Murang'a and Homabay counties work closely with their governors. They put their budgets together and know how much will go to each constituency. My prayer to my governor is that in 2024, we will work as a team, not because we like each other but for the sake of Nairobians so that they can see change. As I finalise, I know that in the Supplementary Budget, this House appropriated money for building classrooms in Nairobi schools. How I wish that the NG-CDF Committee and the National Treasury could finalise the guidelines. This is because I have attached the certificates of the schools and have been wondering why that money is not coming. I thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee for its good work. The Government is focusing on paying debts and should prudently ensure that resources… We know the shilling is very weak, but it is getting stronger. We hope we will see a difference by the time we get to June. This is trickling down to our people, and they are feeling the pain. Finally, let me talk about the many road accidents we see nowadays outside this Bill to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure. For example, the accident that occurred in Maungu, where students from Kenyatta University lost their lives, I urge that we install cameras on our roads, like in Tanzania. We also heard about an incident where a woman slept while travelling in a matatu, and her baby was stolen. That is why we need to install cameras. I am talking to my friend and brother, Cabinet Secretary Murkomen, to crack the whip and ensure speed governors are installed in trucks, buses, and school buses. With those few remarks, I condole with the families. May God rest the souls of these children in eternal peace. Oh, how I feel the pain of the parents. May God give grace to these families. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg for support."},{"id":1394736,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394736/?format=json","text_counter":454,"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":" There being no further interest in this Bill, I now call upon the Mover to reply."},{"id":1394737,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394737/?format=json","text_counter":455,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Kiharu, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Ndindi Nyoro","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you for that chance, Hon. Speaker. I thank all Members who have contributed to this Motion. We have taken note of all concerns. Thank you very much for your invaluable contribution to the entire budget-making process. With those many words, I beg to reply."},{"id":1394738,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394738/?format=json","text_counter":456,"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":" What is out of order, Hon. Owen Baya?"},{"id":1394739,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394739/?format=json","text_counter":457,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Kilifi North, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Owen Baya","speaker":null,"content":" On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise under Standing Order 53(3) that we defer putting the question to another Day so that we allow as many Members as possible to participate."},{"id":1394740,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1394740/?format=json","text_counter":458,"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":" Your request is acceded to. The question shall be put on the Day the House Business Committee will schedule. Next Order. 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"}]}