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{
    "id": 1286958,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1286958/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatinga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13582,
        "legal_name": "Wahome Wamatinga",
        "slug": "wahome-wamatinga"
    },
    "content": "who we want to give UHC gets county and region-specific measures that will address ailments that affect their area. Indeed, I commend the Standing Committee on Health and the Government for the political goodwill that it has demonstrated up to now. We must also make sure that we put the right framework in place so that it does not get abused in the process. Mr. Speaker, Sir, so that we do not allow it to happen like it happened when you were a Governor when the national Government decided to buy machinery that the county governments could not operate. They did not have the technical capacity to handle them. It is the laws that we make in this House that will promote democracy. Our role as the Senators is to ensure democracy thrives. Ten years after devolution, the question of how much we have achieved is still one that we must answer. Much of it can be blamed on the policy direction from the National Treasury and perceived to be implemented at the grassroots level. That has failed. Equally, we can draw a parallel example with what the Western governments attempted to do with the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) when they came and decided they had a prescription that was to be implemented across the board and most of the African economies went on their knees. Let us not repeat that mistake again. Having drawn a parallel between this Bill and the Agricultural Food Authority (AFA) intention, we swore today as it stands that one of the biggest impediments in the agricultural sector is this AFA. I urge Senators to relook at the AFA because agriculture is devolved function. Why do we need a national authority to control a function that is devolved? Why do we need directorates to sit in Nairobi City County to control cashew nuts produced at the coast region? They have no idea how the process goes. As we debate this Bill, it is important to look at the mistakes we have made in the past and intentionally make a deliberate effort to avoid those mistakes. I advise us all to relook at Clause 14 because this is what we should be reinforcing. The mechanisms at the county government level to collect, manage and most importantly to prioritise what they think is best for their people. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, as a Senate, we must ensure that devolution succeeds. The only way for that to happen is to ensure that the resources follow functions. It cannot be that we are standing here talking about health function which is devolved and, at the same time, we are creating a national body that will be governing and guiding the policy. We shall be missing the point. I support with amendments. I thank you."
}