{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=150687","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=150685","results":[{"id":1525052,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525052/?format=json","text_counter":989,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Uasin Gishu County, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Gladys Boss","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Before I reply, I would like to thank all the Members who have contributed very enthusiastically to this Motion. This shows great interest. This is the first time in Kenya that the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy has been brought to Parliament. Prior to 2021, this was not the case. We have made progress as a country. As legislators, we are interested in the levels of our debt, how it is being managed and utilised. We are also interested to know how much is required at any particular stage during consideration of BPS, even as we prepare to have the Supplementary Appropriation Bill. Hon. Temporary Speaker, some Members thought that a gloomy picture has been painted. Yesterday, as I listened the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, Hon. John Mbadi, I felt positive and hopeful as a Kenyan because our country is moving in the right direction. If you see the way he explained how he has managed debt from the time he got into office up to now, you can see that there are positive achievements. We must commend him because he took his time to explain to us the situation. He also admitted that the debt level is not at the prescribed 55 per cent. He said that it is at 63 per cent, but he told us the strategies that they have put in place to ensure that it drops back to 55 per cent. They have a very clear roadmap to ensure that by 2028, the debt level drops back to 55 per cent. I would have been worried if we had a situation like it used to be before, where we did not even know the level we were at in terms of the national debt. I remember proudly that when I was the Chairperson of the Committee on Delegated Legislation, we set the debt ceiling at 55 per cent. We have since made progress, as it has been reported. We must commend the National Treasury for being honest about it and telling us that they have clear measures in place to reduce it. They have also agreed to bring to Parliament updates at specific intervals we have agreed upon. We have dates in July and May that they have confirmed to us. They also agreed to discuss measures they can put in place to ensure that there is better governance, accountability and transparency in the way we utilise not only our own resources from revenue but also those that come from debts. That is why they gave us very good measures. Firstly, they are adopting the STA strategy, which is progress. That is why we are asking this House to allow them up to 2028. They told us that once the STA system becomes 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":1525053,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525053/?format=json","text_counter":990,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Uasin Gishu County, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Gladys Boss","speaker":null,"content":"operational, we will be operating on an accrual system and a zero-based budgeting, which will ensure that all our debts go through the digital system. That way, transactions will be tightened to ensure that we do not have any more losses of monies that we borrowed. They also gave an undertaking to report to Parliament within 15 days of implementation to give us a register of all debts, showing how much the debts are, how much money they will be using to service the debts, and how much of the debts were used on which project. As Parliament, this will give us an opportunity to interrogate them and see where there is no good use of borrowed money, so that the same does not happen the following year. They also gave us the undertaking that they will not make any variation of the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy without coming to Parliament first. These assurances paint a much more positive outlook than we have ever had. In the last Parliament, we were not in this position. It was a back and forth all the time with the National Treasury. I remember when Hon. Ukur Yatani was the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, my Committee had altercations with him because he could not disclose how much was owed. He finally said he would come back and bring the information to us in 14 days’ time but he never brought the information. Right now, there is progress. There was a full disclosure of what our revenues and deficit are, and that they are borrowing to cover the deficit. They have also done something that will make things improve. First of all, they have not negotiated the eighth review with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). That might change. We might have some more concessional loans that will bring down our repayment levels. They also said there is still an opportunity to increase our revenue. They have given a much underestimated revenue projection because they said they do not want to make the mistake that was made last time, where we had a very ambitious revenue projection that was not met and then we got stuck. Hon. Temporary Speaker, as I said, I feel much more confident about the fiscal health of our economy. With those remarks, I beg to reply."},{"id":1525054,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525054/?format=json","text_counter":991,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. David Ochieng’","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you. Hon. Members, for obvious reason, the decision on this Motion will be made when it next appears on the Order Paper."},{"id":1525055,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525055/?format=json","text_counter":992,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Putting of the Question deferred)"},{"id":1525056,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525056/?format=json","text_counter":993,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. David Ochieng’","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":"Next Order!"},{"id":1525057,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525057/?format=json","text_counter":994,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Nominated, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Irene Mayaka","speaker":null,"content":" On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker."},{"id":1525058,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525058/?format=json","text_counter":995,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. David Ochieng’","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Hon. Mayaka, what is out of order?"},{"id":1525059,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525059/?format=json","text_counter":996,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Nominated, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Irene Mayaka","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise pursuant to Standing Order 35. I see that next in the Order Paper is a crucial Motion that needs to be discussed with a majority of Members in the House. However, we do not have sufficient quorum."},{"id":1525060,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525060/?format=json","text_counter":997,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. David Ochieng’","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Under Standing Order 35, it does not matter what is to be discussed next. It is on its own. I order the Quorum Bell to be rung for five minutes."},{"id":1525061,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525061/?format=json","text_counter":998,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(The Quorum Bell was rung)"}]}