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{
    "id": 439141,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/439141/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 369,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Nobwola",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13116,
        "legal_name": "Catherine Mukiite Nabwala",
        "slug": "catherine-mukiite-nabwala"
    },
    "content": "Thank you Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill which has come to this House at the right moment. The amendment of the Bill is in order because the Act is seeking to amend what was enacted in 2012 before devolution came into place. This Bill is also constitutional as per Article 110 (a) which requires that we define the location of a county government. In the past, there were provincial and district governments, but now they have been phased out and replaced with county governments. The Bill also seeks to curb those powers by a single person like a Governor who may wake up one morning and proposes to move the headquarters of his county to another area. These towns which have been described in the 47 counties, I think because of their geographical location, a lot of things were taken into account. For instance, the allocation for population services like electricity and water; whether they are in close proximity with the people because we may have the headquarters of a county government located in the interior of the county and it may not be easy to be accessed by the people of the county. In my personal view, we had the local authorities and the municipal councils whose buildings or structures are now not in use. This is what most county governments are using. I think the Governors have in one way or the other found their offices. For those who do not have offices, when this Bill is at the Committee Stage, we could maybe have a list of those county governments so that we can look at them and then come up with a clause which can cater for them. The way the Bill is, it seeks that we describe the location which has already been determined. For those county governments to change this location, it means it will have to come back to the Floor of this House and yet we can handle this at the Committee Stage once we know how many county governments do not have structures in place. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for purposes of business, it is good that we clearly define the location or the headquarters of a county government because to attract external investors, you have to upload your plans on the world web so that you are easily accessible. If this is not clear, then you may even lose business. 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."
}