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{
    "id": 789517,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/789517/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 154,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Halake",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13184,
        "legal_name": "Abshiro Soka Halake",
        "slug": "abshiro-soka-halake"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the County Governments (Amendment) (No.2) Bill (Senate Bills No. 7 of 2017). This Bill, as it has been well articulated by Senator Orengo gives effect to our mandate as Senators of protecting, improving and streamlining county governments. Therefore, it is an important Bill that we, as Senators, should focus on and take seriously. It clarifies many things for us. As you know, the County Governments Act of 2012 was enacted before devolution and, therefore, by now a lot of the provisions of this Act are obsolete. I want to congratulate Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. for reviewing it. One of the things that I have noticed as an area of gap for us as a House is review of existing laws and legislations. We are perhaps doing quite well with new laws and legislations, but review of existing laws and legislations is where there are a lot of gaps. Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., has done well to make sure that the County Governments Act of 2012 has been reviewed, made more current, relevant and streamlined. It is more aligned to the provisions of our Constitution and the mandate of the Senate in Article 96. The Bill clarifies the commencement of the sittings of the county assemblies which has been under a provisional arrangement. It puts in place a legal framework for the establishment of the office of the Deputy Speaker of the county assembly. There was a gap there. It clarifies the removal of the Speaker of the county assembly. It has also streamlined the process of recall of County Assembly Members (MCAs) as well as their selection. Madam Temporary Speaker, as you know, any institution is as good as the people it has on board. Therefore, how they come on board and how they vacate office is very important. We have talked a lot about the capacity, structure and systems and process of counties that had been deemed to be below optimal. But what this Bill does is to optimise all these things that have in the past been areas that we needed to improve. Who are better placed to do this than this Senate? Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. did well to streamline these things."
}