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"id": 214797,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/214797/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Machage",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Health",
"speaker": {
"id": 179,
"legal_name": "Wilfred Gisuka Machage",
"slug": "wilfred-machage"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I support the allocation by the Exchequer to the Recurrent and Development Votes of the Ministry of State for Administration and National Security, which is under the Office of the President, it is prudent to accept the truth that when most people refer to Government, they actually tend to refer to the Office of the President, and especially to this Ministry. It follows, therefore, that this Ministry must project the face of the Government properly, right from the Headquarters to the provincial, district, divisional, locational and sub- locational levels. Everything must be proper, including the infrastructure, housing, painting and uniforms. Even the boots of the Administration Police officers must project the face of the Government. We are happy that there is an attempt right now to properly remunerate service providers in this Ministry. A lot needs to be done to these people, so that they do not get tempted to be corrupt. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as the Ministry provides services to the whole country, affirmative action must be looked into. There are areas in this country that have been neglected over the years, and which need closer supervision by the Government. There are areas where the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) has found it necessary to increase the number of wards. It should not, therefore, be the duty of hon. Members or the District Development Committees (DDCs) to begin requesting this Ministry to automatically establish locations in all the areas that have been picked by the ECK and given the status of wards. A ward must be a location. That should be automatic. In Kuria District, I have several of those areas - nearly four - that have been identified by the ECK to be big enough to be wards and, hence, awarded the same. It is my request that this Ministry moves very fast to establish the Provincial Administration at that level. That is because July 11, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2467 there will be a problem after the General Elections, where more councillors will be serving under one chief. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I talk about allocation of resources, it should not only be seen to be equitably distributed, but affirmative action should be given to those areas that did not have those facilities. In my district, some allocations are made during the recruitment of police officers. But what happens is that, it is only three quarters or even half of those positions that are taken up by my own people. The administrators always find a way of pushing in people from their own areas. Therefore, we are denied the chance of employing our people and pulling ourselves up to the levels of other people in other places in this country. I pray that this anomaly is seen, so that when there is an allocation of employment opportunities to a district, it should be seen that only the citizens that belong to that district really qualify to take up those positions. To enhance the Government's policy of eradication of poverty, resources must be properly distributed. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to bring to the notice of this House about what is nearly obvious - the security situation everywhere. Whereas I am happy that the Ministry has done a lot, especially to avert inter-tribal clashes, especially in my district, there was a problem between Kuria versus Trans Mara districts. I am very happy. But it is important to look at the service providers at that level. When police officers in clash torn areas are left to stay in one station for over three, four to five years, then the possibility of hatching or incubating other problems is quite enormous. There must be a policy of a structured transfer system of service providers at the police level, so that officers do not overstay in one station for long. There are police officers in my district, especially those from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), who have overstayed in stations. They have built homes, married, their wives have died and they are buried there. Then, we expect un-biased service provision by those officers. It is not possible because those people have already joined a certain clan and have made great friends. Some of them are very good friends to criminals. That should not be allowed to happen. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, doors in this Ministry should be opened to politicians, and not only to Cabinet Ministers. When we see a few things that could straighten the name of the Government properly, please, open the doors for us. Listen to us, as legislators! Let it not be such that: \"Yes! We do not listen to politicians because they always interfere with security.\" That should not be the case. Listen, sieve, take what you think is important out of that information because those are elected leaders. If that listening is done properly and in good time, situations like the one we have in Mt. Elgon District and other places can easily be aborted. Leaders must be listened to. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I comment on the issue of distribution of constituencies. I do not think that is directly associated with this Ministry. But I think the Ministry has a lot in terms of advising the necessary structures. Kuria District is represented in this House by only one hon. Member. Kuria District has only one hon. Member who works in this Parliament. That is myself! There is not even a sweeper in this Parliament, and we are also citizens of this country. Please, I seek that this Ministry becomes my advocate for the sub-division of Kuria Constituency, at least, into two. There should be, at least, two hon. Members so that my community feels part and parcel of this country. We should not be seen to be marginalised. Unless Dr. Machage makes noise, the whole thing is a total failure. If, for some reason, the Chair is not able to see me when I stand, then it is 100 per cent neglect of my people in this House. If I do not speak in this House, a community is 100 per cent ignored in this country. We are fighting for justice from every angle - from Parliament, the Government and other Ministries. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I support the hon. Member who commented on the education levels of hiring chiefs and assistant chiefs. Kuria District had its first P1 lady in 1967. I was the first Kuria to train in medicine at the University of Nairobi (UoN). In your communities, 2468 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 11, 2007 the first trained doctors are long dead not because of HIV/AIDS, but old age! Here is a situation where, even employing a driver requires a Form IV leaver with Grade C plain. We have positions in my district for drivers being taken up by people from other areas. Very soon, we may have chiefs employed from other areas to come and manage administrative affairs in Kuria District. That is unfair! That must be checked. There must be affirmative action. Someone does not need to be a Form IV leaver to be a driver. We have illiterate drivers who are doing a very good job and they have zero accident records over the years they have driven for the Government. Let people be assessed and employed on merit. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of the police stations, both for the regular police and Administration Police in my district, are appalling and are an eye sore to look at, being the first place you have to enter into this country from Tanzania or Southern Africa. It is good to look into those things Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to support."
}