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{
    "id": 633572,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/633572/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 473,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "reconsider that position. I know that there is an Elections Bill that will be discussed by this House at the right time. The Bill is attempting to reintroduce minimum academic qualifications for Members of the County Assembly. It requires some level of exposure and some level of education to do some of these things. This is not just pragmatism but requires some educated commitment to get it right. I want to urge this House to think about the capacity of our county assemblies, their academic qualifications and the ability to comply with the provisions of this Bill. Madam Temporary Speaker, there has been the issue of county attorneys. Many county assemblies are operating without legal personnel. They are operating without people who are well-versed in matters of law. In fact, in many county assemblies, you will find that it is only the Speaker who has the requisite legal know-how. We need to improve and upgrade the legal capacity of our county assemblies. We need to ensure that the Bill for county attorneys is fast-tracked so that the county assemblies get the legal resources to allow them to come up with statutory instruments that are in compliance with this Bill. Finally, we must ask ourselves the question: So what? If as a County Executive Committee member I come up with a statutory instrument and I do not subject it to this procedure, what happens? When I read this Act with greater detail, I will see those sanctions and penalties. It should come out very clearly that a CEC or a governor who goes ahead to issue a statutory instrument and by-passes the county assembly, despite that statutory instrument being void, the originator should also be penalized. I have not seen the consequences of non-compliance with the provisions of this Bill. I beg to support and hope that some of the suggestions that we have brought up shall be reflected when this Bill comes to the Committee of the Whole."
}