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{
    "id": 663109,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/663109/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 90,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13119,
        "legal_name": "Agnes Zani",
        "slug": "agnes-zani"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the promise of devolution and especially the way it is being implemented has become a big disappointment for many people, especially the misappropriation of funds. In the Committee on Finance, Commerce and Budget, more and more petitions are coming about the same. I think it raises a fundamental question where even when we begin the debate about the Constitution and the sort of dialogue and changes that we want to engage in, to begin to think about the nature of how governors should get into office. I know of countries like Sweden who have resorted to appointing of governors rather than electing them; such appointees are regarded as Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and directly answerable. I think the problem that we have had with governors is that at the end of the day, they are elected and they feel that they owe their allegiance to the electorate. So, to remove them – this is the argument that they present – it would take the people who elected them, depending on whether they were voted in or not. In most counties, you would expect finally that the buck stops with the governor. He should be the one who should be answerable. I think it has already been expressed that we have been unable to make the governors accountable. I know especially in this society, as long as something is not punitive, people will try to get away with it as much as possible. However, I think it also gives us a chance,because this is the first time that we are implementing devolution, as we go into the elections, the citizens are watching, becoming more alert about the sort of people they want to elect and are even looking at their qualifications. Even as they continue to engage in the voting, they do so for people who are patriotic and who are really interested in entrenching and making devolution work."
}