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"id": 184453,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/184453/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Njuguna",
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"speaker": {
"id": 20,
"legal_name": "Peter Njuguna Gitau",
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"content": "I would, therefore, think that, if a clerk has failed in a certain position, he should be demoted and removed entirely from the administration. My other observation is that certain local authorities continue to allocate non-existent land October 14, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2701 to innocent Kenyans. You will realise that when they allocate that land, there are certain rates that they are paid. That means that, finally, the allottee would lose the money. So, the local authorities, although they are the trustees, should not allocate non-existent land. The salaries of local authority staff must be reviewed. That is because, at times, when we look at the services that are rendered by those people, they really do not measure up to the amount of work that they do. So, their salaries must be increased to curb the corruption that is experienced in the local authorities. Some local authorities do not have vehicles to deliver services to wananchi. The Ministry must plan to give vehicles to those local authorities so that they can deliver the required services. Some councils do not even have tractors or graders to improve the road networks in their areas of operation. I was imagining that in this Vote Head, I would come across the creation of Kiambu West County Council. That is because I represent Lari Constituency. It is high time that, with the creation of Kiambu East and Kiambu West districts, we have a Kiambu West County Council to serve the residents of Kikuyu, Limuru and Lari constituencies. By so doing, we will be bringing services closer to wananchi. We will also have a chairman of the newly created county council. There will be better services in our areas. With that creation, Kikuyu will have their own local authority. Limuru will have its own local authority. Lari will have a local authority at Kimende. That is because Kimende has a very high population of over 10,000 people. With that kind of leadership, we will have services reaching the population in that area. Now, regarding representation, Lari Constituency is really under-represented. This is because we have one councillor representing two wards. For example, Kinale and Kamae wards have one councillor instead of two. Kaburu and Kamchege wards have one councillor and so has Nyanduma and Gatamaiyu wards. So, my area is seriously under-represented with only three councillors instead of six. My constituents are, therefore, being denied the required services. The local authorities in some areas are the trustees of land. For the last 30 years, they have not issued title deeds to schools. We have noted that there are land grabbers and sometimes they interfere with school land. It is high time local authorities, being trustees of land, issued title deeds to those schools. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, local authorities are very close to the people, but I have not seen in this Vote money allocated for promoting sports in this nation. There is no money that has been set aside for athletics or football. I do not know why they have forgotten to allocate money for the development of sports. It is high time we had chairpersons of the local authorities elected by the people to contain the chaos caused by councillors. If these people were elected, the issue of breaking chairs, injuring each other and continued hatred would be contained. I recommend that in future, chairpersons of local authorities be elected by the people. I also noted that there was no money set aside for roads in Kiambu East and Kiambu West districts. This is a very serious anomaly. Aware that we have the heaviest traffic in terms of transportation of agricultural produce from the area like tea--- Agriculture in our area must be given attention by allocating money for the construction of better roads. When I look at the recruitment of employees in local authorities, it is a very mysterious thing. This issue needs to be brought to the attention of the people. They need to apply for these jobs whichever they are. What exists now is a dubious kind of operation that has been practised by our local authorities. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to talk about the establishment of markets by local authorities. They have begun constructing markets in areas where land is not available. For example, in Kiambu, they established a market at a place called Soko Mjinga. They collected a lot of money from people, but that market never came to reality. This is something that should not have happened at all. If we have credible leadership from the top to the bottom, wananchi should 2702 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 14, 2008 not suffer at all. Looking at the way the local authorities work, it is emerging clearly that with the powers that have been given to them, their books of accounts must be audited properly. The issue of projects not kicking off and yet LATF money has been given out is as a result of corruption and embezzlement of funds which has been allowed to take place in our local authorities. Local authorities have not been involved in the social development of their areas. They have not engaged in the development of health centres, polytechnics and secondary schools. I recall in the 1960s, local authorities started primary schools. Where is that vigour they had in the past? Where is that credible leadership that we had? They have now neglected the provision of major services that our people yearn for. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}