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{
"id": 182954,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/182954/?format=api",
"text_counter": 194,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. C. Kilonzo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 46,
"legal_name": "Charles Mutavi Kilonzo",
"slug": "charles-kilonzo"
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"content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I have about six reasons why I support this particular Motion; that, districts be based on constituencies. The current criteria for creating a district has been political. If you are politically connected or correct, then you can get a district. Sometime last year, just before the Ninth Parliament was dissolved, a Member of Parliament from a place called \"Teso\" decided that he wanted a new district, and since he was not politically correct, he decided to be temporarily politically correct. The particular Member of Parliament had the opportunity of hosting the President. You should have seen that Member of Parliament on television. He sang the tune of PNU. We knew very well which party he belonged to. By the end of the day, he was given another district. So, he has one constituency and two districts. Another Member of Parliament, who was very politically connected - he was from Mwala in my then district, was bragging and told us that he was so well connected that the President was going to his constituency and before he left the constituency, the Member of Parliament would be having a district. That was what happened. He got a new district! To end all these, we want every constituency to be made a district, without one having to be politically correct. It is a right because a new district means better services. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, another reason why we need these districts to be based on constituencies is because of the Budget. The Ministry's budgets are based on districts. There are funds also specifically meant for districts. A good example is the money for roads, which is disbursed to the District Roads Committees (DRCs). When a district with about six constituencies is given 24 per cent, the same amount as another constituency with one constituency, there is unfairness. Is there any fairness? Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, when I sat in the larger Machakos, where there were six constituencies under one district, it was a very bad experience. Agony is when you come from a district where there is a Minister. I came from a district where we had a very powerful Minister. So, when funds for electricity came, they were directed to that particular Minister. When the 24 per cent district funds came, they went to that particular Minister. That is why I say that, to end that culture of impunity and unfairness in the distribution of funds, let us have every constituency as a district. October 22, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2903 Thirdly, a new district means better delivery of services. A new district comes with a district hospital. It comes with more staff. It comes with the entire range of departmental heads, district road engineers, District Officers (DOs) and OCPDs. It means that services are better delivered. When I was in the larger Machakos District, we had one district roads engineer. Imagine, one district roads engineer for six constituencies! Today, we have a district with two constituencies. Services are better. The engineer is able to deliver because it is only two constituencies. It would be better if it was one constituency, one district. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on recruitment of personnel, where I come from - from Yatta District - we have four camps of the National Youth Service (NYS). During the recruitment in the larger Machakos--- For instance, they would say that they were recruiting 50 personnel to join the National Youth Service. Could that be based on the constituency? Sometimes, because I was not politically connected, I would end up getting one or two. Imagine with four camps! But now, if it is constituency per district, we would be moving in the right direction. One of the reasons why we should have that is because Members of Parliament sit in very many district committees. They sit in the District Roads Committees. They sit in District Development Committees. They sit in District Education Boards. They sit in CDF Project committees and many others. Imagine, a Member of Parliament having to transverse long distances to go to the district headquarters! If we have every constituency as a district, that would reduce time. Currently, we only have 69 constituencies which are districts. The balance of 141 can comfortably be made districts without much problems. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the trend today is that funds are being devolved on constituency basis. We have Constituencies Development Fund. We have money for HIV/AIDS, bursaries, Youth and Women Enterprise Development funds and many others. For better management, we need to have every constituency to be made a district. Finally, to sum up, a lot has been said about the new Constitution. I am not waiting for one. I know the same fellows who are in Government today, starting with number one, number two, number three, number four and number five are the same people who were singing about the new Constitution. Until we have a new crop of leaders, I know there is not going to be a new Constitution. For that reason, because if we had a new Constitution, we would not be debating about this particular Motion; we should just have those constituency districts as soon as possible. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}