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{
    "id": 674061,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/674061/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 305,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "July 19, 2016 SENATE DEBATES 33 Sen. Sang",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this Bill, however, not in its entirety. There are certain sections that are quite progressive and mean well for administration in our counties. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I get a little bit concerned when Members of this House raise valid issues on a Bill that gives an indication that they support about 70 per cent of the Bill except one or two provisions. The law and the procedures in this House are clear that you can amend a Bill. Therefore, the areas that I have concern with, I am sure in the Third Reading stage of this Bill, we can bring those amendments. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it could be quite unfortunate if this House is going to preside over a process that ends up throwing the baby and the bath water. Devolution is a concept that is trying to ensure that we have proper administration and governance in our counties. The concept of devolution will not be complete if you just devolve power and resources from Nairobi to the county headquarters. Power has to be devolved also from the county headquarters down to the village level. This was anticipated if you look at the devolution laws including the County Governments Act, in terms of providing for administration from the county to the sub- county, to the ward and to the village. That was for a good reason that you want the Government to be closer to wananchi . You want the county government to be felt at the local level. Again, the County Governments Act provided for the system of administration with the kind of administrator that needs to be appointed or installed at those levels. The sub-county administration will be headed by the sub-county administrator. At the ward level, we have the ward administrator. At the village level, we have the village administrator together with the village council. These structures are meant to ensure that people are able to participate in governance. We have raised concerns and valid issues in this House about the cosmetic public participation processes that are going on in the counties. We have seen in our counties misplaced priorities. In my county, for example, we have situations where a lot of resources are allocated to very useless projects yet the very serious issues that need to be addressed and our resources at the county level to be disbursed into supporting those programmes, are never done. For example, we have a gate that cost millions of money in my county, that is, the Kshs50 million gate. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if a county government can spend resources to build a gate telling us that we are welcome to Nandi County, source of champions, yet in the same county we have children who are unable to go to school because resources allocated to bursary were not disbursed, it could be an indication that the bursary funds were directed to building a gate which some of us in the village have always called “ sanamu ” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the prioritization of projects in the counties is wanting. One of the major contributing factors is lack of proper public participation. How do you carry out public participation if you do not have proper structures at the county level and below all the way to the village level? For you to have efficient structures at the county level, you must get the right people. That is why I support a professional county administration down to the village level. 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"
}