{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=138704","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=138702","results":[{"id":1403441,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403441/?format=json","text_counter":88,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Kingi","speaker_title":"The Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Sen. Wamatinga?"},{"id":1403442,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403442/?format=json","text_counter":89,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wamatinga","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13582,"legal_name":"Wahome Wamatinga","slug":"wahome-wamatinga"},"content":"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I also rise to support this Motion by Senator for Narok. The issue of pending bills cuts across both national Government and county governments. It is a sad affair because the governments at both levels have resorted to borrowing money from unwilling suppliers and contractors. This has seen destruction of small enterprises. These are people who have been committed to supply goods, but wait for years before they can get paid. As I stand here, I am a proud Nyerian. This is because Nyeri County is one of those counties that has zero pending bills. This came as a result of the Governor, the county assembly and I, as the Senator of Nyeri County, sitting together and agreeing to pay all pending bills to t suppliers and contractors because they are people from Nyeri. They have supplied goods and services. We agreed that before we do any new development, engage in any brick and mortar development, we ensure that we had paid all the pending bills. Some of us who come from the construction industries have suffered for many years waiting for money that we borrowed from banks before we get paid. This has ended up killing the morale of Kenyan investors and entrepreneurs and advantaging foreign investors who do not need to rely on the Exchequer because they are able to access cheaper loans and get materials from their countries. Local contractors and suppliers have not only been disadvantaged; many companies and industries have been destroyed as a result of the unwillingness of national and county governments to honour pending bills. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1403443,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403443/?format=json","text_counter":90,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wamatinga","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13582,"legal_name":"Wahome Wamatinga","slug":"wahome-wamatinga"},"content":"Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is not lost to us that we have a huge young population in this country. We talk about access to Government opportunities by the youth, women and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Most of our youth live in urban set-ups. They do not have collateral that is required for them to access financial facilities from financial institutions. Therefore, they end up borrowing money from their relatives and shylocks. At the end of the day, because of non-payment, many young people who hold the future of this country end up not only demoralised. Some of them end up with mental issues because of depression. It is high time that governors of this country with huge pending bills, such as the Governor of Nairobi City County, the Governor of Kiambu and the rest, paid these pending bills. We have looked, analysed and interrogated the issue of pending bills. Indeed, counties that have changed governors multiple times have huge pending bills. It is because those who get into office are not prepared to honour pending bills of their predecessors. This has a double-pronged approach. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we know that corruption is deeply embedded in our procurement systems. People involved in procurement or supply chain management prefer to give new tenders and issue new contracts because they get kickbacks. This is an issue that we must call it the way it is. Indeed, it is a sad affair. You will find new contracts being issued every financial year for the same services or works, but the previous ones are honoured---"},{"id":1403444,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403444/?format=json","text_counter":91,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Sen. Miraj answered her phone call)"},{"id":1403445,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403445/?format=json","text_counter":92,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Kingi","speaker_title":"The Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Sen. Miraj, kindly go and answer your call out of the Chamber."},{"id":1403446,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403446/?format=json","text_counter":93,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Sen. Miraj walked out of the Chamber)"},{"id":1403447,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403447/?format=json","text_counter":94,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wamatinga","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13582,"legal_name":"Wahome Wamatinga","slug":"wahome-wamatinga"},"content":"Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, for protecting me. I urge my fellow Senators, let us get into dialogue with our governors. Let us sit down with county assemblies and county executives, so that we can save Kenyans who are being auctioned and dying from depression. We need to save the situation. This can only be done through a concerted effort and us putting mechanisms and measures in place so that there is no new commitment. No new procurement should be done before pending bills are settled. Failure to do this, will not only ruin the companies, but also see many people losing their property because many contractors and suppliers resort to borrowing money from banks and are required to service the loans. It is known to everybody that loans and credit facilities in this country are very expensive. A couple of times, when they roll over, you end up losing all the profit that you made in a project. It is left to us Senators to come up with mechanisms to ensure that counties that owe Kenyans billions of shillings should be paid first. Since suppliers and contractors are The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1403448,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403448/?format=json","text_counter":95,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wamatinga","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13582,"legal_name":"Wahome Wamatinga","slug":"wahome-wamatinga"},"content":"known, a mechanism can be put in place through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) to ensure that all pending bills are settled before money is allocated to county governments. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the law of Kenya is clear. Pending bills should form the first charge before any commitment is made. As it has been said by a Senator on this Floor, many governors come up with supplementary budgets, so that they do not have to go through public participation. Hon. Senators, our work is to oversight. We have the mandate and power to ensure that county governments honour pending bills. If we do not do this, history will judge us harshly. We will be accused of not protecting Kenyans. We will be accused of not standing up for Kenyans. Most importantly, we will be accused of overseeing death of many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Mr. Speaker, Sir, before I sit down. I would like to challenge my fellow Senators. It is time we sought dialogue with our governors. Even though we belong to different political divides or do not have the same political ideology, we should sit down with them for the sake of Kenyans, suppliers and contractors. I support."},{"id":1403449,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403449/?format=json","text_counter":96,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Kingi","speaker_title":"The Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Sen. Wambua, you have the Floor."},{"id":1403450,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403450/?format=json","text_counter":97,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wambua","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13199,"legal_name":"Enoch Kiio Wambua","slug":"enoch-kiio-wambua"},"content":"Mr Speaker, Sir, I will be brief, but precise. As said by my colleagues, there is no question as to how governors and county governments should treat pending bills. I take the position that the existence of pending bills in any county is a loud testimony of corruption, incompetence and blatant disrespect to the Constitution of Kenya and ordinary legislation. I say this because we all know that before a Chief Officer (CO) in any county government signs a contract to issue any contract to any contractor or supplier, they must do two things. First, they must confirm in writing that funds for a project are available. Secondly, they must ringfence those funds so that when works are completed, then contractors are paid. The issue of pending bills running into hundreds of millions should never arise, in the first place. When it does, then the law is clear that payment of any pending bill should become the first charge on the County Revenue Fund (CRF) Account. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you began in the morning by cautioning us and we take the caution seriously. You said that we should not degenerate into a House of lamentation. I want to urge my colleagues, guided by your directive, and on the strength of this Motion, that after the debate on this Motion, we make a resolution that will have far-reaching consequences to governors and county governments who accumulate pending bills. I have just consulted Sen. Sifuna. It is actually a shame that Nairobi City County, the seat of power of the National Executive, the seat of power of the National Parliament, and the seat of power of all Executive Offices, has accumulated pending bills amounting to Kshs107 billion. The annual equitable share to Nairobi City County is Kshs20 billion. What Nairobi City County Executive has done is that they have accumulated pending bills five times their annual equitable share through the Division of Revenue Act. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."}]}