HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 346537,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/346537/?format=api",
"text_counter": 494,
"type": "other",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "making the kind of laws that should be affecting devolved governments. If I go further on page 5679, Sub-section 4, it says that:- “For purposes of this section, the locations and sub-locations in existence immediately before the commencement of this Act shall continue to exist as national Government service delivery units”. To me, that is something that the House should look at very carefully and even amend. This is because once you say that the very minor and primary units in the local authority should continue to exist as the National Government service delivery units, then really what is the foundation of the county governments? I understand that even under the county governments, these locations and sub-locations are really the primary units. They are the primary units of local authorities even now. Although at the moment, local authorities, historically and even under the old Constitution, have more or less been subsumed under the centralized Presidency. I think it would be rather dangerous to perpetuate this historical inheritance. I would like the Minister in charge of Provincial Administration to look at this section very carefully and, if possible, rephrase it. Otherwise, it may create some difficulty for the devolved government. Further, under Section 5, the National Government Service delivery Co-ordination Unit established under this section shall be headed by National Government administrative officers appointed under Section 15. I think that is where there has been a lot of problems with the so called County Commissioners. First, they did not have any kind of legal standing that we understand. Secondly, one did not know exactly what is the relationship will be between County Commissioners and Governors. Were County Commissioners to exist with governors? I am quite sure that most of you want to be governors. However, you will find it a rather difficult relationship with somebody who calls himself the Chief Delivery Officer of services in a county, representing the national government. Again, maybe, it is a question of how these issues are framed. I think that with reference to the spirit of the Constitution, and the demarcation of responsibility between county governments and national government, especially where delivery of services is to be exercised by both--- The county government should make sure that those functions, given to it under the Constitution, are done by it. The function of administration should be very sensitive to the work that county governments are going to deal with. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, further, in Part III, and this is extremely important, I would like us to look at it very carefully although I did not have any problem with the rest of it. But when I read this carefully, considering that I support the Bill, I would like a Bill that stands for posterity. I found that Part III, appointment, roles and responsibilities of national government administrative officers--- Let me read it for purposes of clarity, 15(1) :- “In accordance with the national government functions under the Constitution, this Act or any other written law, the Public Service Commission shall in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary, recruit and appoint national government administrative officers to co-ordinate national government functions and perform such other functions as may be assigned to them under this Act or any other law."
}