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{
    "id": 513329,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/513329/?format=api",
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    "content": "they ask for a birth certificate, there must be no undue delay in the provision of that service. Clause 8 of the Bill is about the need for a public officer to give accurate information. When information is sought from a public officer, this should be accurate and timely must be given so that somebody does not ask about the process of getting an identity card and they cannot get an answer, or the ID comes after one year as it has been the case in many cases. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Clause 9 is about the need for the Public Service - public institutions and public officers - to be accountable for their actions. This is achieved through the following:- (i) by keeping accurate records of all administrative acts of public servants in each institution; and, (ii) each public officer is required to maintain an accurate record of the administrative actions that involve them. The record of relevant documents prepared by a public officer must be maintained. Each institution must establish a system of addressing complaints arising from administrative actions. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Clause 10 provides that a public officer shall be appointed and promoted on basis of fair competition and merit. This Bill is reiterating our national value; that this is a meritocracy. We must respect and honour merit but it makes four exceptions on the issue of merit. I think this is a sensitive thing for a country like Kenya. The first exception is to ensure that a community which has been excluded from public service is included progressively. This is because if we go by merit all the time, there are some communities in Kenya that will be left out. It could be religious, social or whatever other community that could be excluded. Secondly, there is the issue of gender balance. Sometimes if we go for merit all the time, we might have a situation where we are not able to attain our objectives for gender balance under international and national standards. The third issue is ethnic integration. I think the Public Service Commission did an audit last year and it was discovered that there are communities in this country where there could be many people in terms of population, but their number in the public service is minimal, and where they exist, it is in the lower cadres of the public service, like clerks and sweepers. They are casual labourers and so on. Therefore, merit is important but we must also ensure that we integrate all ethnic groups in Kenya. Finally, persons with disability must also be included, even as we go by merit. So, merit is the rule and the four are the exceptions. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I want to quickly look at Clause 11 which says that the public service shall facilitate public participation in the promotion of values and principles of public service. This is done through public fora and village councils which are established under Section 53 of the County Governments Act. The citizens’ fora, according to the Bill, include faith-based organizations’ representatives, boards of management of learning institutions, welfare and residents associations, self-help groups,"
}