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    "id": 404392,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/404392/?format=api",
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    "content": "players; the leaders themselves within that particular county and within its jurisdiction. The fact that they are Members of those Boards will give them an opportunity to contribute in terms of ideas, and to participate in the various proposals that will come out. I see that through the platform created by these Boards, a lot of potential disputes will be solved long before they even emerge. I, therefore, think that this is a very brilliant idea. Madam Temporary Speaker, the function of the proposed County Development Boards is threefold, as I said; first, to create a forum for consultation among the main players within the counties. Secondly, the Boards will take responsibility for co- ordinating and harmonizing development plans and projects. This is very important because there is need for us to operate in a manner which is harmonious and in a manner which is also co-ordinated. These Boards will also be empowered to consider and recommend those integrated plans and even the budgets before they are ultimately presented to the assembly for consideration and approval. Madam Temporary Speaker, the functions of the proposed Boards are clearly designed, in my opinion, to achieve order and harmony in managing the development activities and programmes within the counties. I do not personally see any area of conflict. I do not see how they interfere with the functions assigned to any other players. I do not see how they will impede the discharging of functions assigned to other office bearers. In my opinion, there is absolutely no conflict of any kind; and in any event, we have been assured that the Boards will largely be advisory and that they will not assume any executive functions. Madam Temporary Speaker, if you look at any county today, there are funds from various sources which are available for development activities within that county. There will, of course, be the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) with the Members of Parliament (MPs) as the patrons. That Fund will engage in development activities within a constituency in any particular county. Then there will be the county government itself which will be undertaking development activities. Once again, the main job and mandate of county governments is to carry out development activities within their respective counties. Of course, there will be the national Government which will also be carrying out development activities, particularly in respect to the functions which are assigned to it nationally and, of course, these functions will have to be discharged in our respective counties. Of course, there will be other players – the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the churches and all those. Madam Temporary Speaker, if each of these development agencies or development players were allowed to proceed as they wish in carrying out and implementing programmes within our counties, all those initiatives will create such a huge amount of confusion; all those efforts will be duplicated and the result will be wastage of funds. This, in itself, will create room for embezzlement of funds on the part of those charged with managing those funds. This will in turn give rise to unnecessary conflicts among the various players within the county. I also feel that it will create room for undermining accountability; people who are charged with the responsibility to account for money will not do so; they will find excuses – they will say “we did this and the other project” when, in fact, it was done by another agency; or “we did this road” when it was done by another agency. 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"
}