Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 263074,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/263074/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 52,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Nguyai",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 113,
        "legal_name": "Lewis Nganga Nguyai",
        "slug": "lewis-nguyai"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill that is the core of what we call; the devolved government. First and foremost, let me give my gratitude to my own Minister who timely set up a task force that worked through the Bill and eventually I know there have been quite a lot of communications between the Committee and task force and as such, it has come out to be a pretty refined Bill. We have listened to what the Members have contributed and I am sure it will only add to the few amendments and provide a more refined Bill that will even be better for the delivery of services by county governments to the country. One of the core elements of this Bill was to provide a structure for governance within the counties. If you look at the role of the Governor, he is a mini-president to the counties; he appoints a cabinet, has county assembly members who check and have been democratically elected and as such, the role of having checks and balances works very importantly. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to emphasize that the civic education clause should educate our electorate on the quality and the kind of leadership we want to have within the county assemblies. These county assembly members will be debating, giving inputs, scrutinizing budgets, having committees and as such it is very imperative for us to educate our population on that issue and who to elect. There has been a little confusion on the clause that seeks the removal of the Governor and I think many Members have read it as if it is a one-third minority of the county assemblies. However, if you further read on, you will find that that is the proposition for the removal and in reality it is still the two-thirds majority of all sitting county members for that removal. As such, it is then referred to as the Senate and I think there are enough checks and balances to ensure county assembly members will not necessarily bully the Governor in place. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, even on the issue of 15 per cent, the input required is a minimum of 15 per cent and as such, I believe that when the budgetary provisions are put in place and the Financial Management Bill is in place, you will find the counties will receive way more than even that 15 per cent. There was also confusion on the right for the county governments to form corporate bodies. A county government cannot be autonomous unless it is able to carry out business whether with the private or public sector. As such, its own representation can only be through having a body that is legally representative. I think you will find that there is no Government that can ever be in operation without having the ability to form corporate bodies. As such, the most important thing is to have sufficient checks. Those will again be through the county assembly committees. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the input of all Members. I can see that they have really truly thoroughly scrutinized the Bills and I would want to assure Kenyans that we are committed to ensure that this is enacted. For that reason, I do not want to speak too long. Without any further ado, I wish to support."
}