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{
    "id": 676396,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/676396/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 179,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wamunyinyi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 291,
        "legal_name": "Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi",
        "slug": "athanas-wamunyinyi"
    },
    "content": "Initiative. They have been on the forefront. They know where Hon. Wanyonyi and Hon. Wangwe live. Ten or more people who live in a village are co-ordinated by the village elders. So, they are people who perform a very important role in our communities. They not only do that, but are also involved in security. Any crimes committed in the village, the first point of reference is them. The police will be asking: “Where is the Omukasa? Where I come from, they are called Bakasas . They are also involved in identifying the people, who do wrong in the community for example, the people who are supposed to be in jail. They know them and usually they point out the same to police or to the local administration. Hon. Timothy has mentioned that they are the first line of administration. However, from the President himself coming down, instructions to the ordinary people go through the village elders. The assistant chiefs go to the village elders for dissemination of that information. So, administratively, they are recognised in the line of administration. However, why they are not recognised and paid anything since Independence is something which cannot be understood. I have no idea because this is not the first Motion that is being introduced before this House. There have been similar Motions before but nothing has happened so far. Successive Governments have not been able to deal decisively with the issue of village elders. It is now time in the new era that this issue of village elders is resolved. Governors are recruiting village administrators. I am not sure if other counties are doing that but in Bungoma County, our Governor recently advertised for recruitment of village administrators to be put on a salary. This is duplication. This is parallel administration in the village. We have village elders recognised by assistant chiefs, but they want to recruit other village administrators with their own villagers under the county government, and who are going to be paid. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, instead of having those issues, I thought it would have been better if the Government stepped in. This Motion gives an opportunity for the Government to step in and deal with the issue of village elders once and for all. It should not just be honorarium. I think they should be put on a salary even if it is a small amount per month. They can be put at the lowest scale of Government. It is not so much money considering the importance of the work the villagers do. This is not something that we think should cost this country a lot of money. In any case, so much money has been spent on matters which are not of great importance to this country. It is my view that the village elders be put on a payroll even if it means considering setting some level of education standards like Standard Eight. We have very intelligent elders who have not been to school even though this is now ending. We have young men who are also performing the role of village elders because of the importance of that function. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}