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{
    "id": 532483,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/532483/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 208,
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    "content": "In some of the other areas like the energy sector, there is no doubt that we have also seen tremendous improvement in the past one year in terms of the performance at Olkaria and others where a lot more megawatts have been put on the grid. I agree on the areas of infrastructure development, regional integration, youth procurement and many other areas that his Excellency the President expounded on. On the area of devolution, I agree with the President that the Government has given support in terms of ensuring that there are funds that go to county governments and other forms of support that have been given in various ways to county governments. However, in that area of devolution let me look at paragraph 46 of the Speech. I take great exception to the provision of that paragraph, specifically, where the President said that in Narok, Embu, Mandera, Marsabit and Tana River – because Mandera is included, and it is my county – that ethnicity is being used to exclude, divide and manipulate the people. It goes on to say that the aspiration of the people was for grass roots development and not for ethnic balkanization. I disagree and strongly express my reservation and disappointment on that because election is universal suffrage. Any Kenyan can contest the election and the people of Kenya vote. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if the people of Kenya vote for the people they want, it is not right for His Excellency the President to say that some people have been excluded. There are many people who vote in this country and I think that would be wrong. In the County Government of Mandera if the President’s office had taken time to find out the composition of the county government, particularly with regard to the county executive officers and the chief officers of that county government. So, I believe that statement would be so embarrassing to the President; it would never have appeared here. It would be wrong to suggest that we used ethnicity. The ethnic conflict in Mandera started in 2010 well before the Constitution was promulgated. It is well known in this country that there were conflicts in 2011 and 2012. How does it come into the issue of devolution? It is clear that there are people who have misadvised the President and Mandera, in particular, we have expressed our concern with regard to the repeated misinformation regarding Mandera in the Office of the President. Recently, there was the issue of the County Commissioner. We have suffered in that county; over 100 people have died because of terrorism and not the President, the Deputy President or a Cabinet Secretary visited that county up to today. Our schools are shut because there are no teachers. Tens of thousands of pupils do not have teachers in their schools. Our health centres are all shut down. Our economy has collapsed and we cannot carry out construction. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, instead of highlighting the challenges we are facing as a country, today we are complaining about the travel advisories by the western countries. Officials in this country have advised adversely against travel into Mandera, Wajir or to Garissa. We do not talk about those concerns, but instead we sit here and say that there was exclusion in Mandera County. I take great exception to that. Going forward, I, however, want to comment on the issue of restorative justice. The past injustices particularly in Wagalla, Mandera and many other parts of this country, people have suffered. We have been asking the governments for many years to apologize for the atrocities committed by public servants in these areas. I appreciate that the President stood up and, on behalf of all those people, apologized. It is a very good 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."
}