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{
    "id": 1125988,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1125988/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 207,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving this opportunity. I rise to support this Bill. The object of this Bill is to provide a regulatory framework for mobilisation, registration and coordination of groups. This is a very important Bill. Communities exist in groups. Communities are not amorphous. It is not a large number of people living there. They have groups—you have women groups, you have youth groups and trade groups. Even the bodaboda people are in very well organised groups. The fishermen are in very well organised groups. All these are groups. Apart from the provision that we were using in the Ministry of Gender and Social Development which gave them certificates, the certificates did not have a serious legal standing. Therefore, they were not amenable to bring their force into development and all other areas. What you find is that communities will participate in groups, whether they are social activities, development projects or economic projects. People will always do them in groups, particularly in rural areas. Individuals that do their serious things are individuals. But, groups are important if we want our communities to participate in all these things. In economic development and activities, we have made provisions for funds—the Uwezo Fund, the Women Fund and the Youth Fund. The non-legal nature of these groups, if I can use that phrase, has made it very difficult for these groups to access these monies and even to follow up. Where monies are lent to the groups and they do not pay, you cannot penalise them because they are not structured in a way that the law provides for. Another important thing is that these groups relate with civil societies. They also relate with Government departments. They relate even with donor organisations. But because of their nature, they are not protected and empowered legally. Even the entities that they relate with and the civil societies are not protected. When things go wrong, you cannot take them up because they are not legal entities. Therefore, you cannot take serious action on them. I think that has been a great drawback on the value of these groups. Therefore, this Bill which is providing for a structure of putting them into place, registering them, regulating them, giving them procedures of operation and procedures of handling their finances will make it very easy not only to support them, but even to train them and give them the skills they need in an organised manner. Within the groups themselves they will now find better ways of resolving conflicts and disputes because the law will provide for that. I support this Bill because it again provides structures. It provides for a Director of Social Development and a County Coordinator. More importantly, they are providing for social development committees that are at sub-county level. After devolution, the structure that was in 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."
}