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"id": 1085466,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Nominated, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Prof.) Jacqueline Oduol",
"speaker": {
"id": 13514,
"legal_name": "Jacquiline Adhiambo Oduol",
"slug": "jacqueline-adhiambo-oduol"
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I support the Report. As I do so as it, indeed, seems to be reflected as you read through the Report and even from what the Vice-Chairperson indicated as he was seconding, I believe we need to look into how we can implement Article 204 that was specifically ensuring that we could bring to the same level those areas that were identified as the 14 counties. It is important that we recognise that to come to the level where in terms of concern, I see in this Report as well as the observations that the Committee has raised, we are facing an issue that we might need to take a little more time to internalise and reflect on. In particular, I am thinking of the word “marginalisation” because at the heart of the Equalisation Fund, there is recognition or manner in which as we came up with the Constitution, we knew there might be some areas that would not be treated equally or some factions or some groups of people that would not be treated equally. Therefore, when we think of marginalisation, we are seeing that there is treatment of a group of people as insignificant. As I read through the Report, which presents not just the context but helps us to see that it is important to get this framework, we need to undertake the completion of 352 projects that were spread across the four counties. My concern, and what I would like us as a House of representatives to take note of is that when we are looking at equalisation, it is different from equity. I am saying this by looking at what we can see as different factors that could define people, persons or groups to be marginalised. When we want to address the issue, we can either do it by equalisation where, in a way, we will be looking for equal involvement, equal participation and equal decision-making. Therefore, we could look, as seems to be the case, at basic services. But we also need to take note that when we consider that marginalisation is really seeking to see that we do not treat any group as insignificant, it is also useful to look at the issue of equity. Equity deals with fairness. Equity will not necessarily begin from the point of view of equalisation by saying that you must treat what you had determined in equal measure, but you would want to look at the context and, perhaps, the changes that might have taken place. As I read through this report, it seems to me that the reflection and growth that we see from the first policy to the second policy, which gives us 34 counties, is something that we should not ignore. As I conclude, I want to speak as a member of the Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity. It is my experience as we go around the country that it is necessary to acknowledge that there might be areas where certain groups of people could be seen to be marginalised, but there might be other similar areas that would not be placed in such a category. So, I do support this report. I believe we need to keep rethinking issues of marginalisation. We should particularly recognise the difference between equalisation and equity in addressing the issues. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. 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."
}