Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1400507,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1400507/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 195,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "sell property after agreeing with county officials on how to do so. I also agree largely on the issue of valuation together with many others. So that I allow my colleagues a chance to also contribute, let me say this in conclusion. I agree that this is an important Bill. We seek to bring order and sanity in terms of valuation and rating. I remember my colleague here, who is also a Commissioner, stated something about corruption. Many people have accused me of not liking the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission (EACC). It is not that I do not like them, but I like saying the truth. The EACC said there is a lot of corruption in counties. I have seen them conducting a conference on the wage bill. Madam Temporary Speaker, I am surprised that the Office of the Speaker was not invited and Parliament is never part of the conversation, yet we are the ones who made regulations that the wage bill should not go beyond 35 per cent as per the PFM Act. I have not seen the input of Parliament, yet we are the ones who pass the necessary legislation and legislative intervention in terms of the wage bill. We have a crisis in the counties. Even when you go to Makueni or Homa Bay counties, you will find different crises in terms of the wage bill. We have staff that transitioned from the defunct municipal authorities including “rat catchers”. Yes, we are aware that some of the counties have “rat catchers” Sen. Maanzo will inform you that you cannot fire them because they are permanent and pensionable. If you do so, they will be reinstated by the Employment and Labour Relations Court. Their business is to ‘catch’ rats and they earn salaries. It is very unfortunate. Up to now, Garissa County is still paying salary to 11 retirees thus losing millions of shillings. In Kisii County, for example, there is an old man beyond 60 years who is still earning a salary. We are all aware that the circular from the National Treasury and the Public Service Commission states that if you are beyond 60 years, unless you are a judge, have an exception or a Person with Disability (PWD), you should not be salaried. Even as we talk about the wage bill conference, I would have expected Parliament to give its experience so that we see how to curb it. I am aware that the national Government is spending a whopping Kshs1.1 trillion in terms of wages and salaries in the country. Even as they conduct that conference, I do not know where they will take the resolutions to. I thought Parliament should be there, so that we transit those resolutions to policy and legislative interventions on how we should assist counties. There are defunct municipal council employees who are now employed by governors. When somebody wins an office, they usually come with their brigade. Sen. Ogola used to work in a county. I am told that in Bungoma County there is a time a former governor hired people to only carry his chair around and they were being paid. Therefore, as Parliament, we should participate in the wage bill conference and tell policymakers and governors to stop misuse and abuse of resources. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to congratulate you. I did not know you were that courageous when you joined yours truly to condemn the harassment of Sen. Okiya Omtatah. Governors have a lot of money to enable them even hire personal militia. When you question something, there is heckling and harassment. 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."
}