{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=148448","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=148446","results":[{"id":1502662,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502662/?format=json","text_counter":94,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Ogola","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the report of the Mediation Committee on the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill, 2024. Yesterday, the President visited Kisumu. When the Cabinet Secretary of National Treasury and Economic Planning was called to make a speech, he made an outstanding statement on devolution. He was reflecting on a commitment that the President and himself shared in support of county governments. I expected that we would maintain the Kshs400 billion that we initially agreed on to be given to the counties. This would have been an outright support to devolution and county governments. Accepting a reduction to Kshs387 billion or less is not the commitment that the Head of State made with the Cabinet Secretary in the support of county governments. However, I empathise with the committee. I feel the reasons that the committee gave through the Mover and Seconder of this mediated report were sufficient. From the onset, I would like to state that negotiations may not be the preserve of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) holders, as was stated by Sen. Sifuna when he was seconding this Motion. Negotiations are just deliberations that lead to a give-and- take. I still feel that it would not be fair to the county governments to go by the report and the figures that have been given here. The counties have no avenue of developing their areas other than the own-source revenue that they get and the equitable share given. We know that the PPs have not been working for the county governments. The national Government has policies that put 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":1502663,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502663/?format=json","text_counter":95,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Ogola","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"it in a good state to negotiate with development partners from which most of the county governments do not benefit. County governments have tried so much to engage development partners through their investment conferences from the onset. However, because of our policies, they have not achieved much. We all know that even functions that were being unbundled to the county governments were never costed. Arbitrary figures have been put in place for these functions. For example, if you take a devolved function like health, it is so expansive. Yet it was devolved to the counties without a scientific costing that was done to the services that are offered in health. So, the counties continue to suffer with the amounts that they have. It is also common sense that you have a bigger brother like the national Government as we have in the dispensation that we are in, where we have two levels of government. It was well stated that it is the duty of the national Government to build capacity for the county governments to meet the expectations of the public. I felt and I continue to feel, that the national Government should have borne the shortfall that we have. We should have maintained our original figure of Kshs400 billion."},{"id":1502664,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502664/?format=json","text_counter":96,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Sen. Cherarkey, Sen. Thang’wa and Sen. Munyi Mundigi stood in their places and consulted loudly)"},{"id":1502665,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502665/?format=json","text_counter":97,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Kathuri","speaker_title":"The Deputy Speaker","speaker":{"id":13590,"legal_name":"Murungi Kathuri","slug":"murungi-kathuri"},"content":" Order, Senators! Kindly take your seats."},{"id":1502666,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502666/?format=json","text_counter":98,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Ogola","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for saving me and for ensuring that the Senator for Nandi is seated and quietly listening to my presentation. As I said, I feel that we should have maintained the Kshs 400 billion. I do not see why the national Government should not have borne this shortfall. If we have to go by lesser figures, what then happens to the priority projects that the counties are supposed to undertake? Some of them were quantified, including the housing levy deductions that amount to Kshs4 billion. There is also county aggregations that require 50-50 matching with the national Government which was placed at Kshs11 billion. We have the enhanced contribution by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) which has Kshs3 billion. We have the Community Health Promoters (CHPs), which is so key to the achievement of universal healthcare. It also has a 50-50 matching with the national Government on our side being Kshs3.2 billion. In health too, we have the doctors’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which comes to around Kshs5.8 billion. You know that the functions that were given to the county governments are core to the heart of our people. They are not just limited to health, but also water. In my county, we now have rain and consequently water. Even though we can see the lake just by us, our people cannot access water, especially during drought. In my county and even in my sub-county, which is Ndhiwa, our people suffer so much for lack of access to water. That is why I believe that if the counties were given this up scaled billions to Kshs400 billion, then I would see my county making an effort towards the plans that they have to give our people access to water. 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":1502667,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502667/?format=json","text_counter":99,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Ogola","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"If you come to Homa Bay County in Mbita Sub-county, especially in Karachuonyo all these other sub-counties, water is a problem. Even though certain investments have been made in the drilling of boreholes and the provision of water points, reticulation to the people remains a challenge in my county. I believe the same applies to other counties. If you go to our municipalities, you often hear that there is no water in my headquarters and others. This is a function that the county governments are supposed to do. Other municipalities have old infrastructure that was laid years ago that often breaks down. The counties are not able then to work towards the universal expected standards of having our people access water. Another key sector that was devolved to counties is agriculture. In agriculture, we have fisheries for some of us coming from the lake, which is very important to us the farming community. Our farmers do not even access extension officers when they needed. Our farmers cannot get the right services that they need from these departments. I believe this is because of the inadequate funding given to these sectors. I expect a situation where if a farmer in my sub-county village needs veterinary services, they should be able to access. Our farmers still keep dairy cattle and they often require services from the veterinary department. Without adequate funding, our people turn to private services that are given by private veterinary practitioners. In my country and in other countries, we are looking to achieve a percentage of forest coverage. In my county, there are two outstanding forests; that is Kondera and Ruma, which is next to my village. The deforestation that has taken place in this forest is so massive. I was looking forward to some adequate funding so that my county government could embark on a forestation programme to bring my county to the expected tree cover, nationally. I am not very comfortable with the reduced figure. I feel, as a Senate, we should have maintained our figure. So, as I conclude, I want to be categorical that I do not support this version of the mediated report. The Senate must continuously stand with the county governments. The Senate must continuously stand with the figure that was given initially in the report here. It is also worth noticing that as this report is moved, we do not have now the aggression that the committee had when they initially presented their report. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not support."},{"id":1502668,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502668/?format=json","text_counter":100,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Kathuri","speaker_title":"The Deputy Speaker","speaker":{"id":13590,"legal_name":"Murungi Kathuri","slug":"murungi-kathuri"},"content":" Thank you. Next is the Parliamentary Service Commissioner (PSC) Nominee commissioner-elect, Wahome wa Matinga."},{"id":1502669,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502669/?format=json","text_counter":101,"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 giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important Motion. I will be very brief because at 11.30 a.m., I will be taking the oath of office as a commissioner. I am quite happy. I sat in the Mediation Committee. Indeed, we, as the Senators, were quite firm that the amount we had suggested of Kshs400 billion plus would remain untouched. We pushed and listened to our counterparts. I agree with our colleague Sen. Beatrice that we had insisted we needed and we must get the Kshs400 billion. However, at times it takes a bit of courage to give in, especially aware of the situation that the country is in. 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":1502670,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502670/?format=json","text_counter":102,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wamatinga","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13582,"legal_name":"Wahome Wamatinga","slug":"wahome-wamatinga"},"content":"We realised we were not the only people who are served by the national or the county Government. We realised the situation and the fiscal space that the country is moving around. In the spirit of give in order that the counties do not come to a halt, we must agree. In every mediation, it is the spirit of give and take that governs people. Emotional intelligence is required for us to be able to conclude. Looking at the fact that we will be shortly moving for recess and the county government will also be doing the same, we asked ourselves very hard questions. That is why we said, yes, promoting devolution, upholding devolution, ensuring that the counties do not stop, we must get a figure that is possible. We must get a disposable figure where we, in the Senate, and the National Assembly, agree. It is in this spirit, with heavy hearts that we agreed to the relatively reduced figure of Kshs387.4. billion. Having said that, it is also very important that we tell our colleagues, the governors that yes austerity measures are being practiced by the national Government. The national Government had reduced its budget by over Kshs380 billion. I like what Sen. Sifuna said, that we needed to see the breakdown of these figures. However, as we look down at those figures, as we interrogate them, let our counties not come to a halt. I remember the Senate Majority Leader has just said he received several calls. I also received a call from my governor telling me that our county is in dire need and something must be done. We made that decision to bridge the gap so that we do not cripple activities in the county governments. As we sat with Members of the National Assembly and tried to push our position that we, as the promoters and protectors of devolution, would not take any cut; it was not lost to us that even we here in the Senate, our committees that are the drivers of the Senate business, have also had to face budget cuts. That is the reality. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I urge my colleagues to support the mediated version, I would like to tell them that it was with a heavy heart that we, in the Mediation Committee, accepted the position. However, moving forward, we need to unbundle all the functions and make sure that we inject budgets that go with them. It is in the spirit of give and take; knowing that we are one nation and serve one people, that we must be prepared at times to take compromising positions to accommodate our people. This is because service delivery to any part of Kenya or any Kenyan, regardless of them being served by the national or county government, is success for Kenyans. This is what informed our acceptance of this mediated version. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, before I sit down, I urge my colleagues to support the mediated version. Moving forward, in the spirit of give and take and the realisation that we are one nation and one Parliament, regardless of whether we are in the Senate or the National Assembly, we must ensure that the decisions that affect the common mwananchi are not only made promptly, but also with the speed and openness of mind that ensures that people get the services that they require."},{"id":1502671,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502671/?format=json","text_counter":103,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) left the Chair]"}]}