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"id": 674993,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Injendi",
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"speaker": {
"id": 2214,
"legal_name": "Moses Malulu Injendi",
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"content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when you look at the work of the chiefs, it is not the same as that of ward administrators. Assistant chief‟s functions rely very much on these village elders. As I move this Motion, it appears like when we get into law making, we may change the name of the village elder as it is referred to in the county government. These are the persons who the assistant chiefs and chiefs rely on to perform their functions effectively. For example, when the national Government is collecting information, it passes through the County Commissioners down to the chiefs yet the chiefs do not go to the grassroots to collect this information. Instead they use the village elders to perform these particular functions. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, if we do not provide remuneration for these particular persons, it is apparent that the national Government will lose its footing on the ground. Instead we are likely to see the county government being felt on the ground. For example, when you look at the National Government Coordination Act, 2013, it actually provides for the existence of County Commissioner in respect of every county, the Deputy County Commissioner in respect of every sub-county, Assistant County Commissioner in respect of every ward, a chief in respect of every location and an assistant chief in respect of every sub-location. What about the village that is represented by a village elder or “Luguru”? It is not really reflected here and that is why I came up with this so that Members look at it and see the shortcomings. When you look at the County Government Act, 2012, it is really providing for these particular persons right from the county to the village level and, therefore, realising that the national Government has a missing link. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when you look at the village elders who play a critical role in our society, you cannot imagine the kind of life they lead with the kind of role they perform. I am sorry to mention this in public that some of them as much as they do so much for the Government in terms of collecting information, like on parents who are not taking their children to school and on defilement matters, when you look at some of them at a personal level, the kind of houses they have and how they even dress, it is really appalling. As we realise, most of them have been killed and maimed in their line of duty. You recall the cases that happened in Central Kenya, they are the persons who identify persons who make illicit brews and once the Government takes action against these particular persons, the victims actually come for them to revenge. You find that in the course of their duty they are killed. When it comes to settling family disputes, fighting land issues, marital problems, these are the actual persons who actually perform these particular functions. These are the people who even ensure there is stability in our villages and families. I have been attending some of their meetings. In some families when one of the spouses is denied conjugal rights, they listen to such cases. When I was young, my father was a senior assistant chief and sometimes I could attend his meetings. You would find when these people come before makurus, one alleges that: “My husband goes to the market and comes back in the evening, but he does not take the food that I have prepared. How do you expect me to stay in his home? I prepare food everyday and when he comes back in the evening he does not eat it”. Hon. Temporary Speaker, personally I thought he was talking of the normal food. You know we thought it was the normal Ugali when actually it was not. I hope you understand what we are talking about because we have children in the Gallery."
}