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{
    "id": 696659,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/696659/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 87,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Nyikal",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I only have two hands and so, I cannot raise more. The passage of this Bill is extremely important in the process of devolution. It is unthinkable that three years down the line, we have county assemblies operating without any legislation on privileges. Anybody can walk into those county assemblies, arrest any of them and take them to court. I do not think we would have anything to say. What is important about this is to look at how we are dealing with devolution. The fact that this has come late is an indication of many other areas where we have not looked at the issue of devolution seriously. One area of concern to me is the division between the national Government and the county governments in so far as the national Government is in charge of standards and policies while the country governments are in charge of implementation. There is a gap. County governments take it that the national Government cannot go down and check whether policies and standards that are set are adhered to. Hon. Speaker many times it has been said that if the national Government tries to do that they are interfering. In my view, they are not. We must find a way for the national Government to check whether policies and standards are being adhered to. That is neither supervision nor interference; it is just one of the ways that can be used. The Leader of the Majority Party dwelt, to a large extent, on politics. I do not think what he discussed was related to this. I think they were related more to Standing Orders than powers and privileges. Despite the fact that he is very well informed, he likes to lace very important discussions with side politics that normally make the discussions not very fruitful. Be that as it may be, it is important that we have passed this Bill today."
}