Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 484167,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/484167/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 268,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "are issues that the Senate alone or its Committee, as it sits, will not be able to judge exhaustively. We do not have a yardstick to measure, for instance, issues that relate to national cohesion. This is because it will take a length of time to be able to investigate and get facts regarding the times when these things were committed and, probably, pin down with sufficient evidence, which this House is not able to do this evening. Mr. Speaker, Sir, much more than this is the fact that devolution is something that is in its infancy stage. A number of things must be demystified. County governments are only headed by executives who are referred to as Governors and their deputies. But many a times this has been construed to mean that Governors or their deputies alone, are the people who man county governments. In Mombasa County, for example, I said that we are all managing public affairs. When you are managing public affairs you must always relate with the people who are affected by the decisions that individuals take; whether it is the Senator, Member of the National Assembly, Deputy Governor, Governor or any other person who has been given duties to discharge with regard to certain functions that affect the people. We are now bound to protect county governments from Governors themselves and even their deputies because many a times the only thing that they do is to listen to the Governors. Things are really going to be bad or move from bad to worse if we allow the way devolution is now taking shape in our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, a number of times the people who are entrusted with responsibilities have failed to appreciate the provisions of this Constitution and the relevant laws that govern matters that relate to county governments. I do not know how long people will take to understand some of these things. Many a times, if you do not know it is good to learn. Not all of us are lawyers, but we take time to read and understand. We internalize these issues. The issue of saying that the lawyers are the only people who understand should not be the case. They are not the only people who understand. As long as you understand English very well and are able to read and interpret for yourself, then there are quite a number of people in this House who are able to grasp issues that relate to law without necessarily going through a law school. This is something that people must also understand. Those who brag around many a times should know that medical doctors, economists and professionals in other sectors of development which some of us have come from, have a good grasp of law. That includes administrators like the former Provincial Commissioner (PC), the Senator for Kitui. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important for us to internalize the provisions of this Constitution. Governors themselves have not understood and are yet to come to terms with some things that exist. That is why there is defiance when they are asked to appear before a Committee of this House. I want to thank Governor Mwangi wa Iria from Murang’a County, if he is hearing this. He should hold his head high. He has nothing to be worried about. He has observed the rule of law and we are there to protect devolution. The only way that we can protect it, is to demystify and get together to work as a team. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to conclude by saying that the practice in this House has been that of cohesion and understanding. We have Members from both Jubilee and CORD, but those should not be the guiding factors. The guiding factors in this House must be the Kenyan interest. We should absolve anyone who is brought to this House 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."
}