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{
    "id": 676632,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/676632/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 98,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Barua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1529,
        "legal_name": "Ejidius Njogu Barua",
        "slug": "ejidius-njogu-barua"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important and timely Public Appointments (County Assemblies Approval) Bill (Senate Bill No. 20 of 2014). As I start, I support the Bill. The three years we have had county governments have been a very good and valuable lesson. We have seen things being done in a way they have never been done before. The operations of counties and money appropriated for the interest of many Kenyans have been treated by the people in charge as personal property. This is particular to certain governors. Time has come for us to ensure county governments operate as formal entities with common procedures, so that discrimination is not seen to be the order of the day in these institutions. The key purpose of devolution was to take services to the people. It was to ensure access to justice and fairness so that every person, poor or rich, is able to access opportunities and jobs based on their qualifications. The people who are being recruited in most of the county assemblies are those who are close friends or with financial muscle to influence decisions and appointments. The common mwananchi with qualifications has not fairly benefitted in access to opportunities. That is why I support this Bill. In the counties, resourceful people have not been consulted or put to use as long as they are not in the same camps with the governors. Just like Members of Parliament or other elected leaders, governors are there to protect public resources and manage them fairly. There have been many cases of favouritism. Cases of governors recruiting relatives in very prime positions have been documented across the country. Nepotism has been observed. On interviews, this Bill provides a very good framework. What is going to be considered in recruitment and hiring is what matters and counts. It is not a matter of how close you are and to who or how much you have. It is a question of whether you have what it takes to serve in those positions. I am happy to know that this Bill is considering and giving work experience 25 marks out of a hundred. It is quite substantial. Education and training are other key ingredients of good service. If one does not have relevant education and training, it will be very difficult to serve or offer the services as expected by the people. I am happy to note that this has been given 25 points. Other things to be considered are interest to the job, knowledge and integrity. If we can follow this to the letter, we are going to have county governments being operated professionally. In terms of advertisements, it is important to have advertisements in newspapers with national circulation. Some of the county governments’ jobs attract a wide spectrum of skills and people from far and wide could be interested. These advertisements should be done in a way that they catch the attention of everybody who could be interested regardless of tribe or any other consideration. It will also be important for us to see that, at least, 30 or 40 per cent of people serving in positions in county governments come from outside these counties. That is one way of getting experience from outside. This will ensure there is objectivity in public service. As I speak, some senior and junior officers in most counties are basically employees of the governor. They are campaign managers, errand boys and girls of the governor. This must stop if we are going to have a sustainable foundation for county governments. The other aspect I would like this Bill to consider is the issue of posting. I do not think it will serve well for administrators to be placed in their places of origin. Allow me to explain this. I have seen that even the ward administrator is from the same ward. The sub-county administrators are also from the same sub-county. These people can be posted to different wards from the wards they are brought up. Their performance can be affected by being known and 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."
}