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{
    "id": 1381772,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1381772/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "Ultimately, the debate must be heard whether we need 47 counties or less. For those of us who look at books of accounts on almost a daily basis, the 47 county governments are beginning to look like 47 payroll offices, because the bulk of what they do is to pay salaries and to chase for the exchequer to be released. We must ask ourselves and have a candid conversation on the kind of economies of scale that we need to ensure that we have fewer counties that can synergize better. Before we get there, perhaps it is within our powers to come up with a law on regional economic blocs. We have regional economic blocs covering. For example, in Northern Kenya, the Senator for Mandera spearheaded the formation of regional economic blocs. The problem with regional economic blocs is that they have no legal form. Therefore, they cannot engage with an investor. They cannot even receive money from county governments because the Public Accounts Committee cannot accept subscriptions or contributions to a regional economic bloc that has no legal form. It is a very small amendment that we need to make to the law to allow the regional economic blocs to have some legal form, to allow them to be body corporates; to allow them to be entities or corporations of the country government so that they can be audited and they can receive resources from the respective counties. If we did so, it would be a half way situation between the 47 counties and the desired number of counites. I still believe the desired number of counties in Kenya should not exceed 13. I still believe that Nairobi City County should never be managed in the manner it is by politicians. It is not just the capital city of Kenya, but of the United Nations (UN), hosting United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Habitat Programme (UNHP). We cannot be running Nairobi City County the way we run Homa Bay town. I did not want to say Kakamega Town. However, we cannot run Nairobi City County the way we are running Kakamega. We cannot be running our cities; Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and now Eldoret using the same template; rules and laws that we are using to manage Migori on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. I still believe that is a hard conversation that we must push. Senate Majority Leader, I hope you are going to revise your legislative proposal. Once, you came to this House and convinced us that Nairobi City County should be managed differently. I still admire your courage then until the then Governor of Nairobi City County accused you of doing somethings with him, toilets and then you disappeared. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to move. Sen. Abas was to second, but he is absent. Sen. Sifuna was also to second me, but he claims he has left his notes in his car. Senate Majority Leader, I pray you will be kind enough to second this Bill because it is bipartisan. Sen. Osotsi is also keen on seconding as long as he does not claim Maseno on the Floor of this House."
}