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{
    "id": 531327,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/531327/?format=api",
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    "content": "you are a Senator of this Republic. You must have a mind that if Mandera, Kajiado, Wajir or Marsabit is in pain, then even Bungoma is in pain and even Elgeyo Marakwet is in problems. Therefore, we cannot say that since this NDMA may not serve Kisii, Kisumu or Siaya County, we cannot fail to provide law that will equalize this nation. The future of this country is the large land mass in the northern part of this country. If we do not want to turn this land like the Tennessee Valley of the USA or Alaska which had harsh climatic conditions, but due to strategic investment by the rest of the nation, you turn places into potential areas. For example, the Tennessee Valley Authority is a place where they are producing the cheapest sauce of energy in the whole of America. There was a strategic decision to create Tennessee Valley Authority which serves seven states. Therefore, if you create a good Tennessee Valley Authority and provide the strategic resources, then you are going to serve the nation. This is what we need to do. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is one reason that unlike today where the President has the responsibility to appoint the chairperson and the management of a committee, we have a wonderful provision in the law that creates a provision for the Senate to do that. This is one of the very few institutions that the Senate and the National Assembly will approve Members of the Board and the Chairperson. That gives it the status that it ought to have; a status that is not equivalent to any other parastatal because this House will preside over approval of the Chairperson and members of the Authority. Therefore, we have the time and the chance to vet the kind of people who will serve. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is not good to assign responsibilities to the President or the Ministry. Many people have said one or two things about the Ministry of Devolution and Planning. It is important for people to appreciate that the Ministry of Devolution and Planning does not just deal with matters of devolution or county governments. The Ministry also deals with matters of planning and drought management. We must respect the various departments in the Ministry. The State Department of Planning is the one that deals with these matters. In that Ministry, there is another State Department that deals with matters of devolution. It is important for us to appreciate that devolution - and I have said in this House over and again - is not county governments. Chapter 11 of the Constitution is not called “Devolution.” Instead, it is referred to as, “Devolved Government.” Under Article 6(3) devolution is a concept that must also permeate national Government institutions and be cascaded to the local level. Devolution is the ability of national Government institutions to reach my village. Devolution should not be devolution because county governments are dealing with some matters. That is why Article 174 is very clear that, one of the objects of devolution is to create entities and mechanisms for the national Government to reach the local people. It also creates a mechanism for county governments to reach the people. It is not enough for a governor to sit in Mandera or Wajir Town, to say: “Behold we have now devolved.” The Constitution states that services should be taken closer to the people. So, let us not just focus on semantics and arguments which do not go to the substance of the Bill or the argument of what a devolved government is. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am proud of the work that the Ministry of Devolution and Planning is doing. As your Chairperson of the Sessional Committee on 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."
}