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{
    "id": 422590,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/422590/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 301,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Gikaria",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2489,
        "legal_name": "David Gikaria",
        "slug": "david-gikaria"
    },
    "content": "My contribution is that, as it is and, of course, as hon. Makali has said, if you look at the proposal that the Women Representative will be the vice-chair, it later says again that in the first meeting of the county development board, they are going to elect a vice- chair. I think that is a contradiction that we cannot justify. If you look at the composition of what has been proposed as the membership at the sub-county level – and it is indicated under Section 4, we have over 18 members. That does not include the last bit which says that any departmental head of the national or county government may attend the sub- county development board meeting as an ex-officio member at the invitation of the board. It means then that, at the sub-county level, we are going to have not less than 30 members sitting. If you look at the provision - the very last one - where it has proposed that the operation expenses will be catered for by the county government, I want to say that, that is not acceptable. What we need most is development. The money that is there should be left for purposes of development. This Bill only suggests the development aspect of a county. Of course, it has taken into consideration that the recurrent, operation and maintenance expenses will be catered for by the county government through the executive, that is the governor. It is important, as the Leader of Majority Party has said, that we must have separation of powers. We should always - us who have sworn to support devolution--- The Jubilee Government that is in power has indicated that it wants to support devolution. We should not be seen as the people who are going to derail, fight and kill devolution. I want to say in very strong words that this Bill, as hon. Makali had said, should be looked at from an ordinary Kenyan’s position. I want to say that the best way for us to deal with the counties is to allow the county governments to manage themselves, as it happened in Embu, although it could have been done wrongly, but I think that is the right direction. We need to allow the counties to go on, so that members of the county assemblies can feel that they are part and parcel of the elected leaders of this nation. Already, the governors are facing a lot of problems, but it is because they are the ones who have already put a tag and a rope on their necks. I do not want to be an MP who will go and share the trouble facing the governor. They will say that you participated in the process. They will say you did not only participate in the development of the area, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}