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{
    "id": 1515164,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1515164/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 193,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui Central, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. Let me also join my colleagues in supporting this Motion. However, I want to make three observations as I support it. The first one is that the public service in this country is facing a number of challenges, and I hope that this new Commission will address them, especially the issue of succession. We have a situation where we have very elderly people and very young people, but there is a gap in between. This matter has been discussed for some time, and as a country, we need to ensure that this Commission will get it right for effective public service. The second matter is the issue I raised last time we were discussing the two commissions, the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the other one. As a House, our work is oversight. I am surprised to see some of our colleagues getting very excited when they see people from their regions on the list. However, as a House, it is important that we look at the totality of these commissions. I am unsure how that can be done, as I do not know whether we consider who else is in which commission at the committee level. I wish the House could access the list of constitutional commissions and the individuals currently sitting in them. That would help the country ensure there is regional balancing. I think a Member raised a very important point of order. Interestingly, we have a high-ranking commission like the Public Service Commission, which is almost equivalent to the one you chair, Hon. Speaker - the Parliamentary Service Commission - having both the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson from the same region. I do not think Kenya is short of professionals who could sit in these positions. Therefore, the issue of balancing is important for effective management so that it does not appear like some regions have been left out while others are in. As a House, we need to start paying attention to these details because it will help the process. Lastly, the Public Service Commission is also supposed to take care of capacity building. A number of these senior public servants have been employed for a long time. As a House, we need to consider supporting them with a budget for capacity building. Some of them never get a chance to be trained to upgrade their skills. The challenge has always been that whenever we want to reduce the budget, the training budget, being a recurrent expenditure, is often removed. So, at the end of the day, you have well-trained officers who are not getting short-term courses to upgrade their skills. So, that is another area that the House needs to ensure that when we are reducing the budgets, we do not cut the training budget, as this is how we can improve the skills of the public servants. With those remarks, I support."
}