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{
    "id": 736922,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/736922/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 107,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ababu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 108,
        "legal_name": "Ababu Tawfiq Pius Namwamba",
        "slug": "ababu-namwamba"
    },
    "content": "In fact, it is on record that the recent very bad strike which took so long to resolve had a lot to do with uncertainties, overlapping of duties and responsibilities between the national Government and county governments in terms of who exactly is responsible for what and whose mandate ends where. Those are issues we need to deal with. Today, we urge county governments that even after the elections, they need to get serious with the provision of basic social services which we all believed would be managed better, their provision would be made swifter, faster and cheaper with devolution. For instance, in terms of water services, my constituency of Budalangi has suffered the brunt of devolution of this service. Every now and then, simple things like payment of electricity bills to keep the water pump stations running and supplying water are not paid. People go for days on end without water and hospitals and market places suffer greatly. Cholera has broken out because of inability of county governments to provide clean drinking water. These are things which have to improve. I hope many of my colleagues who are headed towards county management and those who are switching responsibilities like my good big brother, Hon. Thomas Mwadeghu, who wants to head the Taita Taveta County Government, and I wish him well, will pay greater attention to basic issues like water and health services because therein lies the heart of devolution. We wanted to go the devolution way so that when we talk about water and health care services, their access and affordability would be guaranteed and would be better than they were under the management of the national Government. I want to fault many county governments starting with my own county government of Busia, which has been a total disaster in the provision of basic social services like water, health care, agricultural extension services and even maintenance of rural access roads. I hope as we approve this money, the short period between now and 8th August when we go for the elections, will be a period when we can protect these resources and ensure that nobody will fiddle and play around with this money because of the knowledge that we are all busy with the elections. We want to send a very clear warning to all governors out there that they shall be accountable for every penny of this money expended 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."
}