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{
    "id": 523053,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/523053/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 235,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "“The boundaries of a county may be altered only by a resolution recommended by an independent commission set up for that purpose by Parliament.” At least the Constitution is clear that Parliament is going to set up this commission and then the approval will be by two thirds of the National Assembly and the Senate. I agree with the Mover that we need a legal framework that will give flesh to the skeleton that has been provided for in Article 188 of the Constitution so that we have a comprehensive framework that gives people hope. Madam Temporary Speaker, initially, as I said, and Sen. Musila will confirm this because he served in the provincial administration with distinction, that those boundaries at that time had nothing to do with collection of taxes or resources. Although it had a little bit of something in distribution of resources using the District Focus for Rural Development, it had less interest like it is now when you talk about devolution. It is important for us to now provide the legal framework, give these people an opportunity to know for sure, using modern technology, where the boundaries of our counties are passing and the objective here is just to avert situations where you are going to have a conflict. Who would have imagined that counties like Machakos and Makueni would have had a conflict? On the face of it, they are largely led and occupied by people from the Kamba community. For example, in the Uasin Gishu/Elgeyo-Marakwet counties situation, incidentally, the people who live on both sides are Keiyos. There are Keiyos in Uasin Gishu and in Elgeyo-Marakwet counties as well. However, there are two different governments. The counties are still fighting over the boundary because everybody wants the benefits that come from those institutions to be ploughed back to their counties. You can imagine that the Makueni/Machakos, Elgeyo- Marakwet/Uasin Gishu situations are going to become a derailment for those county governments to partner, have good economic relations and be able to work together as a team because they will be fighting. You know, in politics, no politician would like to be seen as the weaker one who has let go off their boundaries. The best way is to employ the modern technology. I know we have experts here like Sen. Kivuti of geospatial technology; modern technology of surveying land. It is better for us to do this so that we can be sure to put in place the boundaries of our counties and allow our people to proceed to do other things instead of bickering all the time. Madam Temporary Speaker, let me add that this is also the best way of demonstrating that the Senate has powers. There has been a lot of propaganda, mischief and lies, left, right and centre that the Senate does not have any powers to do this or that. Such responsibility like dealing with the boundaries of a county is an immense responsibility. It even includes reviewing those boundaries. If you talk about dissolving a county or not – like now my Committee will be vetting names of men and women who are going to determine the situation in Makueni – that is not a small responsibility, but a serious one. I want to tell Sen. M. Kajwang, that he should not be lied to by characters who are sitting on their computers or digital phones typing information on social media that this House is lacking business and is less important. Those are absolute lies which are peddled by men and women who have never read the Constitution. 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."
}