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{
"id": 240171,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/240171/?format=api",
"text_counter": 177,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Serut",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 297,
"legal_name": "John Bomet Serut",
"slug": "john-serut"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. Let me start by appreciating the work of the Minister for Local Government, for the short period that he has been in charge of the Ministry. For the first time 2488 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 1, 2006 since Independence, the Minister was able to allocate the people of Mt. Elgon slightly over Kshs32 million to build a market at Kapsokwony. Allow me also to say that, for the short period the Minister has been in office, he has done a bit of work within the City of Nairobi, other cities outside Nairobi and county councils. However, at the same time, I want to say that the Minister can do more with regard to county councils. The Minister seems to have forgotten that county councils are part of his mandate and something ought to be done. Councillors who are in charge of those councils run them like personal properties. I say that in respect of LATF allocations. The Government has disbursed a lot of money for development through LATF. But that money is not seen on the ground. If you go to most constituencies right now, the only projects you will see there are initiated through funds from Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). If you ask for any county council initiated projects, you will be told that councillors have not been seen since they were elected. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the question I always ask myself is: If the current councillors cannot convene meetings at their county councils, of what value are they? Why are they being paid salaries? Does the Ministry know what business those councillors do? I say that because I represent a constituency called Mt. Elgon, which has 14 councillors. Those councillors have never met the electorate since they were elected. But I know that they meet at the council to receive money. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, another area of concern is procurement. Let me give the example of Mt. Elgon in regard to money meant for roads. The councillors, themselves, become procurement officers. What they do is this: A councillor will look for a caterpillar in Baringo to construct a road in Mt. Elgon. How much diesel does that caterpillar consume before it gets to Mt. Elgon? How much of the money allocated to a particular ward will be used for the intended purpose? To me, it is none! So, it is actually collusion. I request the Minister to rein in those councillors to ensure that they do not participate in procurement. It should be done by a body within the council or district procurement authority. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to say something about the sewerage and solid waste disposal management in most county councils and more so, in Mt. Elgon District. The headquarters of County Council of Mt. Elgon is situated at a place called Kapsokwony. Currently, there is no sewerage disposal services. There are no vehicles to empty septic tanks. I do not know what the county council will do. I do not even know whether the Ministry is aware of that. I would like the officials of the Ministry to take note of that, and follow it up with the council. We are sitting on a time bomb! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, most buildings belonging to Mt. Elgon County Council are on private land. For any council to sustain itself, it must have a proper base for revenue collection. The council has not acquired the pieces of land where those buildings are situated. It is, therefore, restricted to very few plots within the council. That, in essence, translates into very little revenue. I am asking the Ministry to move with speed and ensure that, that council acquires most of the land that lies within its headquarters for purposes of revenue collection, especially land rates and rent. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is LASDAP. It is not there in Mt. Elgon. It is a community-initiated project. Since I was elected as a Member of Parliament for Mt. Elgon Constituency, I have never heard of any community initiated project that has been financed by the council. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have allocated a lot of money to the Ministry. It is slightly over Kshs9 billion. Out of that amount, only Kshs2 billion is going towards development. The rest goes to Recurrent Expenditure. Part of that money under Recurrent Expenditure is supposed to pay salaries for nursery school teachers. I do not know how many teachers are paid through county councils in this country. The Mt. Elgon County Council has no August 1, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2489 single nursery school. Therefore, no nursery school teachers are paid. If there is any money that is set aside for payment of salaries to nursery school teachers, where does it go? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is the issue of ownership of land belonging to the Nairobi City Council (NCC). Sometimes back, I used to work at the Ministry of Lands. That Ministry used to collect a lot of money in leu of rates. That money was kept at the Ministry. That money was in respect of land owned by NCC. The question is: How will the City of Nairobi identify that land? How will it ask the Ministry of Lands to remit that money? I know that, that is a problem. But as Mr. Ligale indicated - I know he is a former planner - without proper planning, no local authority will be able to identify its land. They will not be able to come up with decent houses. None of them, including NCC, will come up with estates that are accessible. Why? They will only be developing slums! Therefore, I am asking the Minister to ensure that, even at the county council level, before any buildings are developed, there must be a proposed development plan to enable the residents to access their houses, premises and certain resources. If I can make reference to my own district, what is coming up at Kapsokwony is a slum. Houses are being built haphazardly. Land is being sub-divided without access roads. Incase of fire, no one can access houses built on such plots. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me now to say something about the misuse of resources, especially motor vehicles. Many county council officials have converted council vehicles to their personal use, especially the chairmen. If you go to most bars, restaurants or walk around town at night, be it in Nairobi or any other towns, including Mt. Elgon, you will find county council vehicles parked outside, even up to midnight! The question is: There is a circular that was issued on 29th, regarding the use of Government vehicles, did that circular apply to county council vehicles also? I think it applies. I am asking the Minister to issue another circular to most of those county councils, so that our vehicles are not misused. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of bursaries, within the Recurrent Expenditure in county councils, there is always an Item referred to as bursaries. From the time that I was elected into Parliament, I have always seen some money in that regard. That indicates that bursaries have been given to students---"
}