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{
    "id": 187132,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/187132/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 98,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Githae",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 159,
        "legal_name": "Robinson Njeru Githae",
        "slug": "robinson-githae"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I have explained, we are now undertaking this exercise. It is not because we do not want to create them. In fact, as the Assistant Minister, I am empowered to create or even abolish any local authority. However, there is no point of creating a local authority if it cannot even pay the salaries for its staff, collect garbage or plan for its land. We are looking into all the districts that have been created. At the moment we have four types of authorities; one City Council, 45 Municipal Councils, 67 County Councils and 62 Town Councils. Therefore, if you subtract 67 from 148, you require 81 new county councils. Even the current county councils have been unable to pay salaries for their own employees. They have been unable to pay suppliers. They are always coming to the Ministry with begging bowls. We are going through that exercise. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is good to mention that our neighbours; Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, have the same district, parliamentary constituency and local authorities structure. We are looking into that possibility. However, it will require certain adjustments to the current policy. We are talking to the Treasury to see if they can meet some of the staff costs. For example, in some of the local authorities, I found out that the departmental heads are paid by the Central Government. Even the councillors are paid by the Central Government. It will require a total adjustment of policy before we can come up and say that these are the new viable local authorities."
}