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{
    "id": 1564491,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564491/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 318,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "I have read the report by the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations, and I think more should have been done. There are instances of clear violation of laws by both parties, which I think the Committee should have done more to ensure that the law is upheld. There is a serious problem with Nyamira County. As the Chairperson of County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPIC), I have had a lot of problems dealing with this county, particularly, the governor of this county. In fact, there are about five counties which are in a category of their own when it comes to matters of governance, accountability and transparency - where impunity rules. What we are discussing now is impunity of the highest order, where people have decided to violate the law; people have decided to create their own law and operate in their own space. If you look at the history of this matter, you realize that it started with the attempted impeachment process against the Governor, then it went to the Speaker and then it created the two parallel assemblies and amended the Standing Orders, so that they could carry out this impeachment. The overall effect of all this is that there is no oversight in Nyamira County because of the two parallel Houses, because of the inability of the County Assembly to enforce the appearance of the County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) before them. So, we are in a very serious situation at the moment and that is why I started by saying, I wish the Committee could have done better than what I have read in their Report. This is also a clear sign of interference in the management of the County Assembly, starting with the Governor himself. We have seen how the County Executive of Nyamira has behaved when they appear before the CPIC and CPAC. They clearly demonstrate that they are not ready to be held accountable. If they can do that to the Senate committees, then what about the County Assembly? So what is happening here? The elephant in the room is that every effort is being made to frustrate oversight, accountability and good governance of Nyamira County. That is where the Committee should put their focus on and ensure that the right things are done for the good of the people of Nyamira. I encourage the Committee, since this is a progress report, to try and do better than what they have presented before us. Mr. Temporary Speaker Sir, the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations is the interface of this Senate. Most of the issues that affected devolution entirely are supposed to be handled by this Committee. I know there are numerous outstanding matters, which have not been handled such as the Intergovernmental Relations Mechanism. It is high time we had a proper law governing that in this House. That would address some of these challenges. You have seen the response from the Controller of Budget (CoB). It is not justifiable. How does the CoB appropriate money to this County Assembly, an illegal supplementary budget and we leave her to go scot-free?"
}