HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"count": 1608389,
"next": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=153518",
"previous": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=153516",
"results": [
{
"id": 1553362,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553362/?format=api",
"text_counter": 349,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Resumption of debate on Motion)"
},
{
"id": 1553363,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553363/?format=api",
"text_counter": 350,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you look at the report before us, it involves a male governor and a woman deputy governor. The matter is so huge that I will not trivialize it with a point of order that has come from the Senator for Bungoma. Therefore, I wish to withdraw that statement, as I have more important things to discuss. As you can see, I am supposed to talk for 20 minutes. I spoke for four minutes and my time is up and yet I was discussing an issue that is affecting a serious system of devolution between deputy governors and governors. I hope that you will extend the same courtesy and give me my 16 minutes, so that I can prosecute this matter because I came to prosecute the matter. If I may proceed, there are recommendations from the Committee. Those recommendations are what I would like to give a little bit of weight. First, following that successful process, it seems it turned into a mediation where both parties agreed to work together. Therefore, the Committee went ahead to recommend that the governor and the deputy governor of Trans Nzoia County remain positive and harmonize their relationships by working together for efficient service delivery. That is a recommendation that is good in faith, but not good in practice. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we know that when there is a strained relationship between a governor and a deputy governor, it becomes difficult to address issues, especially when resources and responsibilities are involved. This has been evident in the case of Governor Natembeya and his deputy. We cannot rely solely on an amicable relationship to resolve such matters. The Committee has recommended that the office of the deputy governor be sufficiently facilitated with budgetary allocations, as well as adequate staff and a vehicle for its full operation. However, I wish this recommendation had been more specific. What does the Committee mean by budgetary allocation? I believe this House should pass a resolution that the Deputy Governor of Trans Nzoia County must first be assigned specific functions. A budget cannot be allocated where there are no functions or responsibilities. It is my wish that this House concretizes some of these reports. For instance, if the constraint between the governor and deputy governor is solely based on resources, why can this House not recommend that Governor Natembeya assigns Deputy Governor Philomena specific responsibilities and allocates resources accordingly, enabling her to operationalize her office as intended by the Committee? 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": 1553364,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553364/?format=api",
"text_counter": 351,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The committee has also recommended that the county commissioner ensures the safety and security of the deputy governor as she returns to the office for her to comfortably work. I know it looks light when a woman in leadership perhaps raises an issue of security. While this recommendation addresses women in leadership, it is inadequate. We cannot leave such decisions solely to the county commissioner. We need to specify what constitutes adequate security for the Deputy Governor of Trans Nzoia County, considering the threats she has received. For instance, if she has received death threats via SMS from individuals close to the governor, the Senate must establish whether she even has a bodyguard. It has been reported that she does not have a vehicle to commute to work. This means, we are leaving her vulnerable to potential abduction on the road. We must concretize these recommendations in the context of the threats this wonderful leader has faced. Additionally, the Committee has recommended that the deputy governor, when facing challenges in delivering services, should take preemptive measures by writing to the Committee, among other relevant agencies to seek assistance before issues escalate. This is a valid recommendation, as it acknowledges the strained working relationship between the deputy governor and the executive arm of the County Government of Trans Nzoia---"
},
{
"id": 1553365,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553365/?format=api",
"text_counter": 352,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Sen. Oketch Gicheru’s microphone went off)"
},
{
"id": 1553366,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553366/?format=api",
"text_counter": 353,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Abdul Haji",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " We added time for you, but I will give you one minute to conclude. Give him the microphone."
},
{
"id": 1553367,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553367/?format=api",
"text_counter": 354,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I wish I had five minutes, but as a loyal servant to the people of Migori County and Kenya, I will stick to the one minute allocated to me. The biggest challenge we face lies in the inefficiency of the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) and other agencies tasked with championing transitions. These entities have failed to establish the responsibilities I have been addressing. It is high time this House considers scrapping the IGRTC entirely and transferring its responsibilities to the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations. The Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations has more authority and capability than IGRTC. Look at what is happening in Nyamira County Assembly, IGRTC has done nothing about it. Why can we not empower the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations to take up these duties? We need to and clearly define the roles of deputy governors, county speakers and their relationships with governors. Without such measures, devolution will always remain under threat."
},
{
"id": 1553368,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553368/?format=api",
"text_counter": 355,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Abdul Haji",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Senator. Sen. Jackson Mandago, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1553369,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553369/?format=api",
"text_counter": 356,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13577,
"legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
"slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to weigh in on this Report from the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovenmental Relations. 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": 1553370,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553370/?format=api",
"text_counter": 357,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13577,
"legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
"slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
},
"content": "From the onset, I wish to thank the Chairperson and his Members for addressing the matter in Trans Nzoia County, which has been simmering between the deputy governor and the governor. However, as things stand today, despite the efforts of the Committee to resolve the issue, we are witnessing a pushback against the progress the Committee had already achieved. Regarding the roles of deputy governors and governors in counties, there is a need for each party to clearly understand their responsibilities. These tensions are often precipitated by political partnerships formed before elections. Some deputy governors feel they are co-governors with the elected governor. My advice to honourable deputy governors, with tremendous respect, is to focus on performing their roles as deputy governors, regardless of their political involvement during elections. In some counties, political partnerships are formed to marshal numbers for electoral success, often based on geographical or ethnic considerations. However, such partnerships should end with the ballot. Once elections are over, governors and deputy governors must perform duties of their respective offices to avoid straining the functionality of the county. In the case of Trans Nzoia County, although the Committee's observations in the report suggest that the deputy governor and the governor appear to have no issues between them, the truth is that there was and still is a problem. The problem emanates from the behaviour of the current governor of Trans Nzoia County, not in the relationship between the governor and deputy governor. This behaviour has precipitated a dangerous situation in the county. The governor's speeches have been laced with tribal undertones. I do not blame the governor. This behaviour dates back to his tenure as a regional commissioner, where he once made derogatory remarks about the people of Kericho and parts of Mau, saying they 'reproduce like rats.' He has continued this kind of talk in Trans Nzoia County. We must remind the governor that he is not a village chief or tribal leader, but a county governor. Trans Nzoia County is home to all communities in this country, and the governor must be sensitive in his speech to maintain cohesion. The matter handled by the Devolution and Intergovenmental Relations Committee also involved stakeholders like the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC). I am deeply disappointed by NCIC's failure to act and submit a report to the committee to date. NCIC has shown bias, moving swiftly when certain political leaders speak while ignoring others. This inconsistency is evident even in the drama and music festivals in Nakuru, where a politician has been allowed to use a school as a platform to advance his political agenda, disrupting the education system and threatening national cohesion. As I speak, the NCIC has not even made a comment."
},
{
"id": 1553371,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553371/?format=api",
"text_counter": 358,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Orwoba",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "On a point of order, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise under Standing Order No.105 on responsibility for statement of fact. Sen. Mandago is talking of a play that was written by Hon. Cleophas Malalah. He has alluded to the fact that the play is in fact a way of Hon. Malalah trying to push his political agenda."
}
]
}