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{
    "id": 543849,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/543849/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 190,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": ". In every community, these people have existed since colonial times including the former Central Province. It is only that we have been extremely unfair. We have been receiving services from these people without recognizing them officially or even giving them a token of appreciation for the work that they do. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will give another example in my community. They are paid what they call ‘porridge’. After arbitrating over a case or doing some service, you are given something they call ‘porridge’ which is in terms of money. For how long is this country, 52 years after Independence, going to continue receiving valuable service from people, yet we do not recognize them? Our chiefs do not do any work without these people. If a Cabinet Secretary, Senator, or Member of Parliament wants to meet the community, the chief will ask the village elder to mobilize the people. He is the one who is known by the community and receives the respect of the community. He is the port of first call when there is a dispute in the village and the first one to be called even when there are family disputes. These people have served us well. Unfortunately, they have served us, retired and even died without getting recognition or remuneration. I think that this is a timely Bill that has come so that we can redeem this problem. Clause 15 which is meant to be amended to create the position of a village elder, lists a number of administrative officers that are already recognized; the county commissioner, the deputy county commissioner, the assistant county commissioner, chief and assistant chief. I think we made a gross error when we were enacting this law. That is the time that we should have put the village elder next to the assistant chief. If I were to be asked today out of all these, I would say that we should get rid of the county commissioner and substitute with a village elder, because they are immensely useful. Since the point is not to get rid of some and substitute with others, I want to put a very strong case for the Bill as proposed by the distinguished Senator for West Pokot. We should have this new position of the village elder. This is not new because it exists; only that it is not formal. We want to formalize this position and give some recognition to people who have given their time and their lives to the service of a nation. These people are called when crimes are committed and in the process, some are injured or even killed yet they are not remunerated. When a chief is told of a problem, he sends the elder to go and deal with it. Therefore, we want to put a stop to this unfairness and unfair treatment of Kenyans and create this position. We should ensure that they are officially recognised. We should stop this culture of giving them porridge and give them proper tokens of appreciation in terms of money or allowances. We should recognise these people and give them morale and authority to do their work. The issue of recruiting them in the Public Service Commission as is in the Bill, causes a lot of challenges. I know even in the Public Service Commission Act, there is room for delegation. It is only fair that when the Public Service Commission is recruiting elders, it should delegate that authority to chiefs and even the public so that the public 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."
}