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{
    "id": 733130,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/733130/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 242,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kangara",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12543,
        "legal_name": "Benson Mutura Kangara",
        "slug": "benson-mutura-kangara"
    },
    "content": "That is why we are having problems in our health sector. The Government devolved functions, but costing was not done. With regard to health, there are some areas in this country where we do not have hospitals. So, the cost element ought to have been done. Who is now going to do the costing? The Intergovernmental Relations Committee, as the word says, is a relation committee. It has no weight. It cannot pursue money because it is more or less like a diplomatic mission. We need to see that there is a committee that looks into some of these issues. There is the issue of staff. A large number of members of staff are in a lot of problems. There are those who were initially employees of councils. With the establishment of county governments, the pension scheme for most of them is grounded. Those who are retiring do not know where to go as they seek their dues. There is a lacuna in law. In fact, county governments are now coming up with pension schemes. What do we do with the people who used to work in the councils? There has to be a law to streamline that problem because these people worked with the councils. With regard to devolution, employees in various counties are Kenyans and can be transferred to any county to work. Currently, the way the law is, they have been grounded. There is no provision for transfers and so they cannot move. It is because of these things that we are saying that we need a committee to be formed. The committee will look at those issues. I know many employees have been caged in the areas they are working and yet we are saying that we need cohesion in this country. People need to be allowed to move to various places. The issue of employing 30 per cent of employees from other counties cannot be implemented if things remain the way they are unless we tell county governments to start employing again. Most of them are already overstaffed. They have a problem, but they can get staff from other counties. There is the issue of assets. It was not factored in. Hon. Gikaria, a former Mayor, is also facing a lot of problems with regard to land. I believe he is fighting a worthy cause. That is the biggest problem we are having currently. The Ndung’u Report exposed that some public utilities were taken up by private hands. I think it is the same thing facing county governments currently, but I have not heard any one governor say that they are in the process of repossessing some of those assets. I have not heard anything from the Governor of Nairobi where I am resident. We are facing many issues as a county, but there is no single allegation by the leadership of the county. There is a strong feeling that county governments are operating in cahoots with the looters. They are now sanctifying the same titles we have been fighting. It is the more reason we need a committee that will interrogate some of these things. For instance, his is a case study. Where does he go? He will be forced to go to the National Land Commission (NLC). If we had a committee in place, some of these issues would be solved speedily."
}