{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=152786","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=152784","results":[{"id":1546042,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546042/?format=json","text_counter":145,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. (Dr.) Oburu","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":194,"legal_name":"Oburu Ngona Odinga","slug":"oburu-odinga"},"content":"Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity. This is a very important debate because this is one of our fundamental functions as a Senate and as Parliament to oversight the Executive and to oversight, generally, the expenditure of public funds. In Uganda, they take it so seriously such that in the Public Accounts Committee that I attended, there is a policeman from the CID sitting together with parliamentarians. If a case has been presented and well-proved, they now do the, I mean, their function of further investigations with a view to concluding those issues legally in courts. Here, I think we need to do the same because there is a lot of carelessness in dealing with the resolutions of the House. Sometimes the House makes resolutions and they are not taken seriously. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for instance, this issue of pending bills is an issue which is bankrupting many Kenyans. I am surprised that even the county assemblies are having the issue of pending bills. The county assemblies should be the forefront as the elected representatives of the people to lead the Executive."},{"id":1546043,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546043/?format=json","text_counter":146,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) left the Chair]"},{"id":1546044,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546044/?format=json","text_counter":147,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Wakili Sigei) in the Chair]"},{"id":1546045,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546045/?format=json","text_counter":148,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. (Dr.) Oburu","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":194,"legal_name":"Oburu Ngona Odinga","slug":"oburu-odinga"},"content":"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":1546046,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546046/?format=json","text_counter":149,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. (Dr.) Oburu","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":194,"legal_name":"Oburu Ngona Odinga","slug":"oburu-odinga"},"content":"Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we also expect them to do their proper function of primary oversight in their counties, which we are also informed by the Chairperson of the CPAC that they do not do. They leave almost everything to the Senate and the National Assembly to do the oversight functions, which is primarily theirs. I also want to emphasize the need for the county assemblies to have autonomy. This is because without autonomy, the counties are dependent on the mercy of the executive. Therefore, effective oversight of the executive becomes an issue. It becomes difficult for them to oversight the people who actually control the strings of the purse. Somebody who controls the strings of the purse is the one who---"},{"id":1546047,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546047/?format=json","text_counter":150,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wakili Sigei","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Sen. Oburu, I can give you one more minute to just conclude on your comments."},{"id":1546048,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546048/?format=json","text_counter":151,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. (Dr.) Oburu","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":194,"legal_name":"Oburu Ngona Odinga","slug":"oburu-odinga"},"content":"Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I conclude by just stressing the importance of having the autonomy of the county assemblies and stress that they should continue to do their primary oversight. It will make our work here much easier if they do proper oversight on their own. I thank you."},{"id":1546049,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546049/?format=json","text_counter":152,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Chesang","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13578,"legal_name":"Chesang Allan Kiprotich","slug":"chesang-allan-kiprotich"},"content":"Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I would like to support this Motion. As we continue sending money to the county governments, I think we should be very keen on our role as the Senate to oversight. Before we even engage in our role, we have seen the auditor's report. Specifically, we have seen so many things that I do not want to repeat. We have seen the unbudgeted expenditures in our counties, the pending bills issues and the stalled projects. Regarding pending bills, we have over Kshs600 million unpaid in Trans Nzoia County. We have seen fictitious legal fees that have been paid by the county governments. We have seen illegal withdrawals of monies. Specifically in Trans Nzoia County, we have seen around Kshs120,142,000 from our hospitals and also Kshs159,130,036 from our local banks. Those are illegal withdrawals by the county governments. Having said that, I would like to urge the systems dealing with corruption that as we allocate these funds to the county governments, they should also work together with us to ensure that the public gets value for money. I would like to repeat what Sen. (Dr.) Oburu has said, and we should be keen, and we should take this seriously that I do not know what happened with the Ward Development Fund Bill, the autonomy of our MCAs because this is where we start. In order for monies to get to the ward levels, we need these MCAs because their mandate is to oversight the same way we do. When they do not have control of their ward-specific funds, they are forced to jump wherever, or maybe to lick governor’s asses. That is what is really affecting us---"},{"id":1546050,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546050/?format=json","text_counter":153,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Wakili Sigei","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" (Inaudible)"},{"id":1546051,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546051/?format=json","text_counter":154,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Chesang","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13578,"legal_name":"Chesang Allan Kiprotich","slug":"chesang-allan-kiprotich"},"content":"I withdraw that comment but they are forced to do---"}]}