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{
    "id": 781446,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/781446/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 270,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Milgo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13174,
        "legal_name": "Milgo Alice Chepkorir",
        "slug": "milgo-alice-chepkorir"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. First of all, I thank the mover of this Bill for bringing to this House an important Bill of the County Governments Amendment Bill (Senate Bills No. 11 of 2017).This Bill could not have come at a better time, more specifically, now that we are starting the second governments in the counties. This Bill has dealt with so many of the issues that were bedeviling the counties in the past. Some of the first county governments would be run in a wanting manner because of issues of employment and removal of employed staff. In some of the counties, you find that even speakers – in one of the counties that I do not want to mention– by the close of business in five years, the county had had five speakers in place. The reason of removal was just petty issues. This Bill will deal with issues of clear separation of powers. It has given an indication of the way forward in dealing with all vacant offices. Furthermore, in the recent past, apart from witnessing the issues of vacant deputy governors’ and governors’ offices, there were counties where even the deputy governor would be removed at will and the office will stay vacant without the governors bothering to fill it. This time, because of the timelines that a new appointment must be done within 14 days of the resignation or death of whoever is holding the office; it is going to encourage the people holding the offices to do things above board. We realise that even the County Executive Committee (CEC) members could not perform their duties as expected, and the governors’ hands were tied. Some of the CECs would just come to the office, leave their coats and even go on trips without having to bother whether they had delivered the mandate of their offices. Madam Temporary Speaker, I thank the mover of this Bill because for the first time, the County Public Service Boards shall have to follow a legal structure in terms of employment. In some of the counties, employees were just handpicked and most of them were not even qualified. That is the reason why many of the counties were not able to deliver on their mandates. However, Clause 68(b) of this Bill requires that County Public Service Boards must collect all the necessary information and check the qualifications before employing somebody to occupy a certain office. Additionally, Madam Temporary Speaker, the issue of diversity has been a challenge in various counties. Our country has been facing conflicts because of tribalism and ethnic imbalance in various counties. This is based on the fact that employment of ‘our own’ was the mode of the day, despite the fact that our national policy stipulates that for us to encourage national cohesion, we should bring on board various employees to interact. Furthermore, bringing on board different employees from various counties would encourage new ideas, new methods of working, it would reduce corruption and, by so doing, encourage cohesiveness. 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."
}