17 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
Finally, I want to challenge the Ministry of Education. I know they have a lot of funds for infrastructure development. The cost of undertaking works is far much higher than that of the NG- CDF. The process of identifying projects that need to be done by the Ministry is opaque. The process does not highlight the aspirations of the people on the ground. I want to challenge the Ministry to partner with the NG-CDF in using the funds that we earmarked for every constituency. Let the constituencies, through public participation forums, identify the projects that need to be done.
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17 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
With those few remarks, I beg to support.
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17 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I stand here a bit confused or a bit disappointed in the way the Bill has been drafted, discussed and passed in the Senate and brought to this House for deliberation. I stand here in a way to support the recommendations of the Committee in respect of this Bill. I truly believe parliamentary time should be used in the most useful manner that results in the best output. Moreover, I also believe that what is already legislated, there is really no need to re-legislate. Looking at the Bill, it more or less looks like an executive ...
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17 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
recommendations of the people when they present their views under the county integrated development plan? Each year the county government is required to prepare a county fiscal strategy paper that lays down the way projects are going to be done and the way of raising funds. I truly believe the drafter of the law just needed to find relevance where there is none. I truly believe probably he was egged on by MCAs to try and copy the NG-CDF yet the circumstances of the two are totally different. On that view, I know my time is up. I stand to ...
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15 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for this opportunity to contribute to this Bill. From the onset, I support the spirit of the Bill even though there are areas that require further considerations and amendments. Generally, in any jurisdiction, any local authority or any organ has two sources of revenue; transfers from the national Government and locally generated revenue. Before devolution, we had local authorities that for all purposes and intent used to collect adequate locally generated revenue to enable them undertake their various services and programs. Of course, it has always been a paradox, a cause of worry and source of ...
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15 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for example, my county, Busia County in the Financial Year 2016/2017 only afforded to collect about Kshs256 million of locally generated revenue. That is what has been recorded in the books. In 2017/2018, they only collected Kshs276 million. In 2018/2019, the figure cannot even be reconciled because no one knows where all the revenue went to. It is, indeed, interesting and funny. Yes, there is no requirement that every taxpayer must get an equal amount of services. But honestly speaking, it beats all logic to expect a trader in Funyula Market, Sio Port Market and Ganga ...
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15 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
Going to the particular Bill, I totally agree that it is important for us to harmonise the revenue generating procedures and revenue collection. Devolution did not intent to dismember this country into 47 governments and one government to produce 48 governments. We need it harmonised so that we can avoid a case of double taxation and double payment of levies.
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15 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Article 209 of the Constitution of Kenya empowers the local authorities to levy taxes in forms of property rates, entertainments taxes and charges for the various services they offer. Schedule Four clearly states the services that county governments ought to offer. It is conceivable that they ought to collect, to impose charges for the services they render. The elephant in the house is that there has been no transparent, accountable and verifiable process of collecting this revenue. As a many of my colleagues have stated, and I have also observed it in my county, many are ...
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15 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
to believe that a county like Busia, with the border point and all the activities that happen, is unable to collect a substantial amount of revenue towards sustaining our activities.
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15 Sep 2020 in National Assembly:
Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when you look at Clause 160…
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