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{
    "id": 1462393,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462393/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 241,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "The executive in its budget will also set aside some money to set up a club of men and women to sit down and chat. This is shareable revenue; money that is supposed to go to support counties. When the framers of the Constitution set up the Intergovernmental Relations Agency, which was the Transitional Authority, they saw it fit to set up an independent body that could balance the relationship between the two arms of government; the national Government and the Council of Governors (COG). Madam Temporary Speaker, I have a problem with over-legislation. I have a problem with saying that because the COGs have been operating illegally, we put them in statutes and give them the leeway to decide how much to send to employ a CEO to run this council or to employ a secretariat with the money meant to build hospitals and schools and fund our children in scholarships and bursaries The neater way is to ensure that the current statute continues when it comes to the issue of the secretariat of the COGs. How do you tell us that you will set up a secretariat then we are to fund it and be accountable for it? There is a problem here. I strongly support the establishment of the County Assemblies Forum (CAF) but I believe that the Exchequer, which is currently funding this agency, should continue so that the agency can be independent. We currently have a serious problem with the relationship between governors and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) because the assemblies are not semi- autonomous. They depend on the governor to give them money. If you go to most counties, they will tell you that the governor has not given them money. Why is that when this is a body to oversight the governor? Although I support this Bill, I persuade my colleague, the Senate Majority Leader to completely delete Section 20A, being proposed. I will be proposing to him to delete this new Section on funding of the council. Leave that role to be carried out by this Intergovernmental Relations Agency. You cannot say it is an Intergovernmental Relations Agency, yet you are coming in and telling me to fund it from your shareable revenue. Shareable revenue should be used as per the intended functions. Number two, I would also be persuading the Senate Majority Leader to delete Section 23(C) on funding of the forum. Let the money given to the Intergovernmental Relations Agency by the Exchequer run all those functions of that forum. Even if you have COGs, let the secretariat remain as per the current statute, to be the Intergovernmental Relations Agency. We need to differentiate between accountability and a club of men and women going there to sit and talk about what they have done. What I like about this is that Clause 4 of this amendment Bill, which is amending this Act, talks clearly of the following functions, which are very clear: Facilitate dispute resolution between the national Government and county government within the framework provided under this Act. I support that. You always need to have an arbiter. Now, tell me, how will you have an arbiter yet you have your secretariat? Your secretariat will come out to say we do not agree with the powers that have been given to this current agency. We want to be the ones to dictate to this agency what they should negotiate for us with this new COG being funded. This is wrong and I hope that my colleagues who will speak after me on this matter will agree with me that Section 20A is unnecessary."
}