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{
    "id": 246852,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/246852/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 179,
    "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. From the outset, I stand here to support this particular Private Member's Motion on the issue of the districts. I want to align myself with the sentiments expressed by my colleague who moved this particular Motion. As you know, Mount Elgon District which I represent is among the 28 districts which were created during the last regime. Some of them were created not only to render services but to satisfy the needs of the people who had been marginalised for quite some time, Mount Elgon District being one of them. Due to that, I am persuaded to disagree with some of my colleagues who during our last debate on Wednesday on this particular Motion tried to oppose it. I am not opposed to the sentiments which were expressed by some of my colleagues that there are other new districts which have been created but I would like them to know that it has taken more than ten years for us to realise that these districts have not been validated. The reason is simple. The Government has put structures in place. There is a budget for these 28 districts. So, I do not see why these districts cannot be validated now. June 14, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1330 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other districts which are purported to have been created during the referendum campaigns can still wait for another two to three years. After all, these districts were not created in good faith. I say so because in most cases none of the residents of those districts asked for them. It is only a small group of people who were meeting His Excellency the President that made requests for the creation of these districts. The leaders within those districts which were created last year have not even agreed as to where their district headquarters should be situated. Hence, it is my considered opinion here that the Government should actually support this particular Motion to validate the 28 districts with a rider that any other district which will be created because I do not foresee any being created soon because their representatives are not very serious, will be considered at any appropriate time that will come. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to talk about my own district. Before Mount Elgon District was created we had been marginalised to the extent that we could not even have a single person being recruited in any of the armed forces. We could not even have a messenger employed by the Government but right now we have our own slots. I am glad the former Provincial Commissioner of Western Province, hon. Y. Haji, is here and he can attest to that. He knows how my community had been marginalised. We can now stand on our two feet and count ourselves among Kenyans ever since we were given this district. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, these districts have been used as campaigning tools. I feel we have only a very short period to the general elections. I would request that the Government moves very fast to validate these districts so that they are not again going to be used as campaigning tools during the 2007 General Elections. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}