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{
    "id": 263138,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/263138/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 116,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Chanzu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 11,
        "legal_name": "Yusuf Kifuma Chanzu",
        "slug": "yusuf-chanzu"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the aspect of devolution has been with the people of Kenya for a long time. They have been yearning for this for a long time. One of the things they thought would be eliminated through devolution is to remove responsibilities and powers from the top and bring them down to the people at the grassroots level. I only hope that what we have seen in this country for many years in form of corruption, we are not devolving it down. Therefore, that requires that we must have proper structures, proper units and proper methods of handling these aspects at the grassroots level. I am also hoping that the positions that we are creating through this devolution are not units for self aggrandizement. That is, people doing whatever they want to do because they think that that was what was intended. I have seen in this country people rushing for jobs and when one has the job what he does is contrary to expectations. They go there for self satisfaction and so on. I am only hoping this is not going to be the case. One thing that is very impressive about these Bills is the way they have been drafted and set out. In the past, there was no criteria for measuring the performance of an elected person, but in these Bills, we have the criteria where we have set out the duties and responsibilities of an elected person. For example, in the previous Bill, which is related to this one, Clause 9 deals with the roles of the members of the County Assembly. This is a very important thing because it is going to enable Kenyans to know that so and so is supposed to do. Even the elected leaders themselves will know what they are supposed to do. The job that has been done on these Bills is very commendable. However, there are a few issues which arose maybe because of time or the tug of war that was there. When I attended the meeting at Naivasha, I noticed there was a tag of war within the Executive when it came to these Bills. This is the point the Member has just been talking about. I noticed the tug of war within the Executive with Permanent Secretaries feeling totally different particularly in the Office of the President and the Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government and looking at the work that is being done through these Bills as one that is going to deprive their offices responsibilities. It is in that process that some of the thorny issues like the one the Member has just talked about were left out. There was so much tug of war in some of the aspects. For that reason, I believe that this is the opportune time for the Minister and the Members, because the matter is now between the Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government and this Parliament, to introduce amendments to cover some of those shortfalls. Clause 5 of this Bill, namely, Objects of Inter-Governmental Relations, talks about facilitating the realization of the objects and principles of devolution provided for under Articles 174 and 175 of the Constitution. Part (b) talks about Articles 6 and 189 of the Constitution. If you look at these Articles in the Constitution, they are all related. Article 6 of the Constitution deals with devolution and access to services and Article 174 deals with the objects of devolution. There is Article 176 of the Constitution which deals with county governments and states that:- “1. There shall be a county government for each county constituting of a county assembly and a county executive. 2. Every county government shall decentralize its functions and provision of its services to the extent that it is efficient and possible to do so”."
}