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{
    "id": 563670,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/563670/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 331,
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    "content": "chairing the sub-committee on Petitions of that Committee. What occurs to me is that we are getting an avalanche of petitions focused on county assemblies based on the contravention of this particular article on leadership and integrity. As Sen. M. Kajwang was saying with regard to the late chairman, there is too much nepotism, favouritism and corruption in appointment to public office in the counties. This quite often is done with impunity. The Constitution also says that when doing appointments, it is not just merit that should matter, but also regional balance, gender and such consideration. You cannot sacrifice competence and merit at the altar of regionalism. If somebody is being appointment, such a person must qualify to perform in that office. If there are three people with the same qualifications, then you find a way of evenly balancing them. Therefore, we must be conscious to the fact public service in the county is representative of the face of the county. However, that representation should not be at the sacrifice of merit and ability to perform. Madam Temporary Speaker, the other thing that is not happening in the public service in the counties, is the requirement by law that at least 30 per cent of the public service should be from outside the county so that we do not have incestousness in the public service of counties. For example, if Kakamega County is appointing its public service, some of those people should come from Bungoma, Kisumu, Nandi and so on. In the county, there should also be recognition that the face of Kenya is important. Madam Temporary Speaker, finally, to underline the importance of this Bill, it is not possible for a committee or an institution to vet itself. A committee or an institution cannot vet itself, it has to be vetted by another body. In this regard, if the executive of the county knows that a law like this exists and the county assembly is making appointments that are in contravention of both Article 73 and Article 235, then the executive can raise questions about public appointments in the counties. This is the law that Sen. Madzayo has brought. We are moving in the right direction in the sense that we are beginning to pass laws which put in practice the broad principles that the Constitution lays. I have always said that the Constitution is there to lay broad principles of governance. Parliament is there to translate these broad principles into law, so that nobody exercising of the responsibility of governance can doubt exactly what the framers of the Constitution meant. The law interprets the intentions of framers of the Constitution and puts it in such a way that if you contravene it, you are contravening a Constitution which is a worse crime. Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to support."
}