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{
    "id": 727757,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/727757/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 249,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Sometimes you thank God that beyond every failure there could be some silver lining and beyond the failures of the Government to implement Konza Technopolis and Isiolo Resort City, the only silver lining is that there is no conflict because people are not seeing the tangible signs of development. But when a new government that is action oriented takes over, like the new government that we want to bring in which will implement all the big projects, people will fight because of the locations of the borders. Due to conflicts around county boundaries, we have seen loss of lives. In June, 2016, two people were killed because of the Kisumu-Nandi border dispute and we got the usual explanation that it was cattle rustling and traditional practices. However, when we went there as Members of the Joint Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, we realised that there are deeper issues and it is not just cattle rustling. There are issues around resource distribution. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there are also cases of double taxation. There are certain centres that fall at the confluence of Homa Bay, Nandi and Kisumu. Sometimes residents of my county feel that taxes are collected from them by revenue officers from counties that they do not owe allegiance to. There is also perpetuation of historical injustices. Some of the boundaries were established many years ago. Due to their establishment, there are certain areas that felt that they were given a raw deal. If the area is hilly, some people feel that they were given the leeward side and others feel they were given the windward side. So, it perpetuated some of the injustices and this brewed a lot of conflict and mistrust between people of different communities living in those areas. There is also the issue of political marginalisation where county boundaries have fallen in areas that divide members of a small community. You will find that there is a little bit of them on one side and a little bit of them on the other side. So, they can never be actively, properly and fully represented at the top levels within the county. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when you read this Bill, you will realise that alteration of county boundaries is not the first option. It is for that reason that I strongly support this Bill. We are not saying that we should set up structures to change county boundaries. There could be a need to change them but when you read this Bill, you will clearly see that the first option is not alteration but mediation because it is the mediation committee that gives rise to county boundaries. The Ombudsman, in an advisory note, had talked about this particular matter. He advised that one of the things that the national Government can do even before Parliament legislates on these issues because this falls within the responsibilities of the President is to undertake a marking exercise so that we set up beacons to clearly delineate boundaries of counties so that we move away from reliance on things that are movable. We thought the railway line will never move but now it is moving away from Kisumu to other places and people feel unhappy about that. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we must find a way of setting up beacons based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and technology but not based on anthills, rivers or lakes because lakes can dry up. Lake Kenyatta is drying up and you wonder whether that is a message about certain dynasties that might also be drying. We must base the county boundaries not just on natural features but clear geographical and technological position as recommended in the First Schedule of this Bill. 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"
}