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{
    "id": 450460,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/450460/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 71,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "July 9, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 14 The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me an opportunity to support the Report as laid on the Table of the House. This is a milestone in our short history as a Senate. The process that culminates in this report today puts to shame doomsday believers that have been saying that bicameral system in this country cannot work. For the first time, a mediation process as provided for in the law has brought fruits to the Table. This Bill was supported by the whole House. Indeed, at the operationalisation of this Bill, there might be one or two hitches but it is very fundamental that Senators have an opportunity to participate in what goes on in counties. There are some governors who are good, there are some who are not so good and some who are very bad. We need to bring our entire devolution house to order. I want to encourage governors not to see this as an intrusion into their work because there is no governor who has a title deed to any county neither is there any governor who has exclusive right under any law to do what they wish in any county. Indeed, I am sure there will also be some Senators who may use this process to exceed their authority and lord it over the governors; again, that would be wrong. I encourage that we have an approach that helps counties. Indeed, we have seen of late that certain governors are conducting their affairs in a very poor manner and they need somebody to put them to order. You find a governor who embarks on misusing resources allocated to a county in a populist stand to carry out functions that are exclusive to the national Government. When you find a Governor engaging in populist activities like buying 120 police vehicles when it is not the duty of a county government to buy vehicles for the police, how is he accounting for that money? Even when he is summoned to come and explain, he does not show up. Then we have other governors who know very well that certain functions are not within their domain but they are budgeting money for them, contrary to the law. Senators are the only elected representatives given the legal and constitutional responsibility as the defender, upholder and protectors of counties and devolution. In doing so, we expect that Senators will be like a balancing act. I have received and read mail from certain counties where some governors who have a hold on county assemblies are denying certain sections of their own counties development activities and focusing only on areas they think they enjoy political support. This is what Senators must come to correct. We also have some governors who are engaged in activities that are an affront to the law. We know of governors who are themselves contractors while others are suppliers. It is not all of them but there are some bad apples that I encourage Senators to take responsibility seriously, sit with governors, not in competition but in complementing the support that we need to give to ordinary people. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have said this before; that there are some counties in this country, and I am very fond of pointing at Wajir as an example, where my distinguished friend and my able deputy chair in the Finance, Commerce and Budget Committee comes from. In Wajir, 50 years after Independence, children still read about tarmac roads in books, children still read about piped water in books. Devolution has come to correct this 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."
}