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{
    "id": 347002,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/347002/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Balala",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 9,
        "legal_name": "Najib Mohamed Balala",
        "slug": "najib-balala"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I stand here to support this Bill and congratulate the Minister for at least taking the country forward with this structure of devolution. We have struggled as a nation since the 1960s. We came to a formula of majimboism where devolution was key in our independent Constitution. Unfortunately, due to greed and power hungry politicians, majimboism was killed especially by starving some regions and today we are back to a modern way of devolution. I want to say that this is the right way to help this country to spread its development programmes all over instead of centralizing in the capital. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, those days of centralizing power economically and politically are gone. We are in a new era. If you see all the developed countries, you will realize that they have a devolved system in one way or another so that these resources trickle to the grassroots and develop their people. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, what has happened today is that we are going to transfer some money that is going to help up to the next financial year, so that we do not starve these counties any more. Let us not imagine that the current county council or mayors or chairmen of the county councils will be the same as governors of counties. The governors are not going to be like mayors, with some little resources; counties will be governments on their own on the ground. That is why we have to appreciate that there will be a central Government and a county government. These will be separate governments. But there will be a way of working together, so that we are able to complement what the central Government will be doing. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is very important for us to provide all possible means to help these county governments to have capacity for financial management. We have seen most of the county councils that will be replaced by county governments have liabilities. They have mismanaged their systems. We need to help them. There will be teething problems but this is the right way to go. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have observed of late, in the last one year, that some of the leaders in these county councils have been disposing of assets of the county councils. I want to say here that we give them notice. We will follow them if they do things in the wrong way; we cannot allow leaders on their exit to sell property of the Government, so that they enrich themselves and kill the whole concept of devolution"
}