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{
    "id": 518239,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/518239/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Obure",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 118,
        "legal_name": "Christopher Mogere Obure",
        "slug": "christopher-obure"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, Thank you, for giving me this opportunity so that I can make a few remarks. Boundary disputes between counties have the potential to affect and disrupt the activities of county governments. Where there is a dispute over a boundary between two or more counties, the counties involved are most likely to divert most of their attention in trying to seek settlement to the disputes instead of focusing on service delivery to the citizens because that is there core mandate and function. It is in this spirit that I support this Motion, initiated and moved very ably by Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. We all recall that before we adopted the present Constitution, there was serious debate on how to identify the current 47 counties, how they were going to be formed, the criteria for determining the boundaries and issues of that nature. They were debated at length and they were very hot issues at that time. That debate was not concluded but a compromise was reached to adopt the Provinces and Districts Act of 1992, which had created 47 districts as the basis for the current 47counties. While we all accept that this compromise has served us well over the short period since the adoption of the Constitution, we are also aware that there are people among us who may not be satisfied with that compromise because they feel that it was arbitrary and it had no sound basis. The districts which gave rise to the counties were actually created through an administrative action, many of them at the request of communities, some of them on the basis of influence by politicians and others were formed as an attempt to put together people who share a common interests. Therefore, there was no scientific criteria or formula which was generally accepted which informed the creation of these districts. The districts therefore left a lot of room for possible disputes over boundaries and we are beginning to see some of the disputes between counties around the country. There is need for the establishment of an independent commission to hear and determine such disputes where they genuinely exist. However, I wish to throw some caution at this point because that could open up old wounds including wounds which may have healed by now. I have seen that since the introduction of this Motion in this House by Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., a week or so ago, I have started hearing some of these disputes which we have not been hearing about. In 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."
}