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{
"id": 450975,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/450975/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Simiyu",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 141,
"legal_name": "David Eseli Simiyu",
"slug": "david-eseli"
},
"content": "whereby devolution would have been carried out in stages. Counties would get functions as they are able to manage them. However, due to a presidential decree, devolution was done in a precipitated manner so that functions were devolved in one swirl swoop in one evening and all the counties had the functions devolved to them. The Transition Authority was, therefore, caught unawares before it had finished the work that it was supposed to do. Hon. Speaker, we have now reached a very crucial stage of devolution which nobody is mentioning. Now we have reached the point where sharing of assets has to be carried out. That means there are assets in the counties which someone has to decide where they belong. There is need to decide which ones belong to the national Government and which ones belong to the county governments. That, to me, is a very critical stage in devolution and, at this stage, the only body that is taxed with that activity is the Transition Authority. So, if we allow the Transition Authority to die at the moment, then we will be getting into trouble because all the activities of devolution will be vested in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning, which is part of the Executive. How will the Executive be able to apportion the sharing of assets with the counties? How will they be able to do that without any problem? The national Government will want to hold on to their assets which are still in the counties, even if those assets rightfully belong to those counties. So, hon. Speaker, in the stage that we have reached, we need to be very careful. We might get an innocent looking Bill like this one, yet it is going to have such severe ramifications on the devolution process in this country. So, I would suggest that before we pass this Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, we propose some amendments. If nobody does it, then I will do it. I will move an amendment to strike out that particular intention of killing Transition Authority. I would like to urge many Members, especially those out there and in the Senate, to look at it very critically. That is because while we have argued that Transition Authority has failed, when you really look at it, the failings of Transition Authority have been our own creation, in the sense that devolution happened precipitately. They were caught up before they could finish their work. But right now, let them be allowed to do the work that they are supposed to do. The assets should be shared equitably between the national Government and the county governments. Hon. Speaker, I believe this is a very critical thing. We should not allow this innocent looking Bill to do such a serious damage to devolution in this country. If that happened in this House, we will be blamed for being part and parcel of those people who are fighting devolution and yet we are not, just as the Chair of the Justice and Legal Affairs Departmental Committee has just stated. By doing away with Transition Authority, we will not just appear to be fighting devolution but, indeed, we will be fighting devolution. Hon. Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to support. Thank you."
}