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{
    "id": 453813,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/453813/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 305,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Nyasuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 590,
        "legal_name": "Gladys Atieno Nyasuna",
        "slug": "gladys-atieno-nyasuna"
    },
    "content": "devolution. When you even look at the County Governments Act, this involvement is not only anticipated among the leaders. It is anticipated also for the general public. It is anticipated that the public must be engaged at all levels. If you read Section 97 of the County Governments Act, it speaks about involvement, including the public in the matters of the county. Having these boards where all Members of Parliament sit, members of the county assemblies sit and then the governor,they can agree to streamline what is going to each constituency. This in my instinct can only be a good thing. I do not think it can be a destructive thing. I know there is an issue of who chairs this committee and I think that can be discussed and decided. But also in the spirit of acknowledging that everybody is a party to devolution, I do not see any harm in the way the Bill has been designed. When I read Article 174(e), one of the objects of devolution is also to protect and promote the interests and rights of minorities and marginalized communities. If this Bill goes through, these boards must look very critically at how minorities and marginalized groups are streamlined within devolution, including affirmative action groups. If we leave this in the hands of just a few people, this is politics and sometimes people just look at what numbers are in this corner and what numbers are in the other corner. If I ignored this corner, can I still win an election? If I ignored this population, can I still win an election? If I discover that I can win an election even with ignoring a certain small population, I will ignore them and I will win the election because their numbers do not count. That will be going against the objects of devolution as outlined in the Constitution. That is why we must all be on the table. In this House, we represent every corner and every marginalized group voted for a Member here and that marginalized group will be affected if that group is not taken care of. The Member here will be affected. That way, we sit on the table, then we can say: Can you bring in my community however small it is and ensure that it gets development? Can we bring in the people with disability however few they are, so that they benefit from devolution? I really support this Bill and I hope that counties can put in place measures to deal with minorities, marginalized groups and affirmative action groups. As this Bill goes through, we will be looking at how to ensure that this happens; that affirmative action groups, which have been ignored by the County Governments Act to date, are also streamlined within the Act. I understand the mood. I am a big believer in the CDF because it has made a lot of changes to our communities. I hope that nobody is going to interfere with the CDF. I also hope that, that does not make us do away with a very good principle that is even going to enhance and bring more benefits to our people. I support and I urge Members to support this Bill."
}