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{
    "id": 404073,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/404073/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 295,
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    "content": "Attorney General emeritus, for the technical details that he gave. I hope that this is transmitted, not only live, but also in all the print media, so that Kenyans can understand what the objects of this Bill are and how beneficial it can be for the ordinary mwananchi. Once this Bill was introduced in this House, I remember that there was hue and cry, particularly from the Governors and a number of other stakeholders. But I find that hue and cry was not based on any sensible thought. This is because neither Sen. Sang nor this House envisages a position in which Kenyans’ interests will be compromised. I think that we are here for a good cause. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we are not reinventing the wheel. The Governors did not find a vacuum because there existed something in the counties long before the last elections. Sen. Sang is said to be the youngest Senator, but a number of the Governors are older than him. Therefore, they should have known that there was no vacuum in this country with regard to planning for development. We are not reinventing the wheel. A number of us will remember that at one point there existed what we used to call the district focus for rural development. That provided a platform at the lower levels, particularly in districts, to plan, not only for development programmes, but even for humanitarian efforts. There also came the district development committees, where until recently, development partners and district organs used to plan development programmes in the nation up to the national level. In fact, it cascaded to the sub-locational level. Where were these Governors then? A number of them might have been in schools or working. But they may not have internalized these issues. At one point, with due respect to the Chairman of the CIC, when he spoke of the fact that by actually enacting this Bill, he indicated that we were going to actually perform the role of what he was calling the members of the MCAs; we were not usurping the role of the MCAs as clearly enumerated by both speakers before me. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we are not in any way going to do roles of other people. What is going to happen is that all development programmes will actually be discussed at this level. For the information of Governors and those who purport to believe that the county coordination board, as envisaged, is only going to talk about county government funds, it is actually a place where all donor funds, county funds and faith- based organizations support programmes will actually be discussed. This belief that this is meant only to curb the excesses of the county executive does not exist. According to me, it is a myth. Unless we actually develop these coordination mechanisms, we are bound to lose. There is going to be duplication of projects and wastage of funds, as one project which was bound to be undertaken by one agency will be repeated even by the county government itself. We will also not be able to monitor these projects. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the truth of the matter is that today, in our counties, Members of Parliament are running their CDF programmes. The county governments are haphazardly planning projects without the involvement other elected leaders. I know that we have had a County Integrated Development Plan that is way beyond the budgets of county governments. If we do not actually create synergy and understanding between our various roles and complement each other in what we try to do, our people are bound to 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"
}