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{
    "id": 389292,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/389292/?format=api",
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    "content": "measures to require all counties to formulate, map and operationalize, with measureable indicators, key development agenda and deliverables for each term of the respective county governments and submit an annual progress report to the Senate.” Madam Temporary Speaker, this amendment will add some value to the main Motion, because the county governments will now understand that we are not going to leave this matter to the county governors’ council. I am not familiar with the law, so far, and do not know whether they are capable of requiring or directing the county governments to do certain things. This is because the county government is independent and can only co-operate with the central Government. But I do not think that the county governors’ council would have any facilities to enforce the requirements of this Senate. Since the county governments are the agents of devolution, we need to deal with them directly. This is because there is no way you can separate the Senate from the county governments. The roles of the Senate and county governments are very clear in our Constitution and you cannot, therefore, separate the two. We are here to protect the interests of the county governments and they have to do what we require them to do. I think that it has to be very clear in everybody’s mind that the Senate is here to direct and manage the county governments. In fact, if they fail, it is this Senate which should be held responsible. In the Constitution, we are mandated to do quite a number of things. Even when there was some hostility between the Lower House and the Upper House and the governors’ council came in also, there was a problem in determining who should decide what. But the Senate was quietly being blamed to have allowed that situation to happen. Whether we like it or not, we have to agree that this Senate is in charge of devolution and our agent is the county governments. Madam Temporary Speaker, I think that it is very clear in our minds what we want to do here. I think that the Senator here will agree with me that the time is ripe to start coming up with Motions and laws to manage and direct the county governments. For example, the county governments have now decided just to copy what the national Government is doing. You will find that there are people called ministers and yet, there is nothing like that in the Constitution. These are executive committee members of the county governments, but they call themselves ministers. So, I think that time has come when we should stop playing politics just to please the county governors. I think that quite a number of us came through public support, maybe in collaboration with some Senators and governors and, therefore, we do not want to appear as if we are disagreeing. This House has to be seen as being independent and able to deal with the county governments’ requirements. In fact, we have to work for the county governments more than anything else, because this House was created as a result of the Kenyan people wishing to see the devolved government. The devolved government will not be enforced by any other people, except the Senate. Madam Temporary Speaker, this is our time now. Let us now be clear in our minds. I appeal to the Senators who are here to get involved in the development of counties, so that after four years, we shall say that the Senate has managed devolution because it has done A,B, C and D. But if we try to play the game of pleasing the governors and county assemblies, we will be wrong. This is because these new people are The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}