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{
    "id": 1402676,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402676/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 175,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana MGH",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The lack of respect and the lack of protection for CECMs has hampered the execution of their duty. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this amendment that gives focus on the offices of the CECMs in our county is a good amendment. In fact, I dare say it is a historic amendment because, many years to come, the office of these ‘ministers’ will be highly respected. These are people who formulate policies that determine how we live in the countryside and determine how our lives will happen when we formally retire from public service. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the amendment that we have made; the law that we are writing in this House today, will serve this nation very well 40 to 50 years from today. As of now, since they have not really asserted their presence, these CECMs are treated like appendages of governors, and this should not be the case. I remember in my older life when we served under President Mwai Kibaki, Ministers used to have full-delegated authority. When a Minister said that a road would be built or he came to your constituency and said they would start the construction of a bridge the following year, they never used to suffer the humiliation of supplementary budgets. Currently, your programmes are removed or wiped out. You cannot become a CECM or Cabinet Secretary who is just picking salaries and not executing a single duty. For us to return honour, respect and authority to the office of the CECMs in the counties, we need to pass this amendment. For us to be on the right side of the history of devolution, we need to pass this amendment, so that we can give power and authority to the CECMs to execute their functions. Even when they disagree with the governors, but they are doing the correct thing, we should support them. This Bill is a step in the right direction. In the Senate of the future, we should have laws that specifically deal with the authority of CECMs. This amendment is a good beginning, but we need to protect them, so that they are able to execute their duties. When they sit down, write those programmes and propose budgetary allocations, it should not be so easy for governors to just bring a supplementary budget and wipe off the entire development vote from the CECM, taking it back to special programmes of the office of the governor, leaving the CECM without a single cent of development vote. We are not being fair to the spirit of devolution in this country. We should have a law that protects them so well that when the governors push them to do the wrong things, they are protected. This Bill today is a beginning. It is protecting the CECMs against the force of the county assembly. We are increasing the threshold for their removal. However, we need to have another law on the other side that also protects CECMs from the threats of governors who want to use them to do the bad things. I can name a few CECMs in these counties who are extremely respected. Some have served for a very long time in national Government and they have retired back home. They have no interest in making money. They are contributing to their county when given this position. Some governors who have foresight have even picked professors. I know of two professors who served as CECMs in some of the coastal counties, not that they did not have good jobs where they were, or could not raise good money wherever they were 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."
}