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{
    "id": 1553395,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553395/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 382,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Okiya Omtatah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "government used to have funds allocated directly to the office of the deputy president, and to the office of the president, though it changed sometime. Maybe, we can directly allocate funds in the budget, so that the deputy governor does not depend on funding from the governor. He or she can have his or her office recognized as an office that exists as a governor in waiting, or a governor in times of emergency. The office will be fully facilitated right from the budget. Maybe, we may need to look at our budget-making process to ensure that we put in place structures where these offices are funded and facilitated to operate. However, no functions beyond being deputy governor should be assigned to a deputy governor. There are situations that arise where the question of the office of the deputy governor is abused. In this particular case, you have seen that the deputy president shall not hold any other state office or public office. In some counties, you find that deputy governors are assigned ministerial duties. It is a habit across the country. In my own County of Busia, the Deputy Governor doubles up as the CEC for health. I think we need clarity. The other thing that we need to look at is the total number of county executives that a county can hold. Whereas the Constitution sets a top limit of 10 county executives, you find that some counties appoint more. They argue that because they have appointed the deputy governor to a county executive position in the county, therefore, they have got a leeway to appoint another person to make the 10. So a county like Busia has 11 members of the county executive, and their defense before the Committee is that one is a deputy governor thus does not count. How can he not count yet he is running a ministry? So, these kinds of things need to be looked at critically. We should make people understand that when they choose to become a deputy governor, then they choose to become a deputy governor. They should not hide in the office of the deputy governor to do other things. I say this without condemning any deputy governor who is serving in any role, but to draw attention to the fact that we should try to sanitize our counties and limit the money the county spends on governance. We should not allow counties to go beyond 10 county executives where the law sets that limit. There was reference to the play Echoes of War by the former Senator of Kakamega County, Hon. Malala. Hon. Malala called me sometime last week and said that his play was being frustrated at the national level. He did that because sometime in 2013 or thereabouts, I filed a petition to demand that Butere Girls be allowed to perform their play, ‘Shackles of Doom,’ incidentally by the same gentleman, Hon. Malala. The late Hon. Justice David Shikomera Majanja wrote a detailed judgment on the question of freedom of expression, especially artistic expression. So, we cannot be brought to a date where one can criminalize storytelling, creative arts or satire."
}