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{
    "id": 1473832,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1473832/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 38,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dagoretti South, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Kiarie",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity. I also thank the Member for Tiaty for raising this serious issue. I am sure that the substantive Speaker understands well how we came up with devolution. The National Government officers were the precursors of devolution. We wanted to devolve the Government to the grassroots for representation to get to the people. There is no better way for the Government to connect to the people on the ground than through chiefs, assistant chiefs and headmen. I would like to raise two issues that the Committee should consider when they invite the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. First, it is discriminatory to have education qualifications as a disqualifier for the position of a chief or an assistant chief. We all know that some of those requirements are elitist. The population we have taken through our tertiary institutions and universities is smaller than the larger population out there. The chief represents the lowest level in our community. Secondly, the administration police were withdrawn from our National Government officers during the police reforms. The chiefs are now exposed and are ineffective on the ground. When the chiefs had two administration officers assigned to them, they had the power of the crown of Government when walking around the villages. Today, the chiefs stand very exposed in their communities as they execute their mandate. Finally, as the Committee considers this request, they should also consider areas like Nairobi. In cities like Nairobi, there is a very inorganic way of appointing chiefs and administrators. It is funny that chiefs can be transferred or circulated from one area to another. Today, they could be serving in Ngando Ward and tomorrow, they could be transferred to Ngara Ward. How much understanding of an area do they have to represent the people effectively? Imagine if a chief is transferred from a Ward in Starehe and is taken to a Ward in Ruthimitu, where they have to administrate on issues like succession or land that they never dealt with in the cosmopolitan areas. I thank Hon. Kamket for this timely request. I will be joining the Committee as a friend to see how they will transact this business."
}