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{
    "id": 812048,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/812048/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "other",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "This Public participation law will also allow us to provide guiding principles. When you walk across this country, you will see white elephant projects all over. These projects were abandoned because of changes from one leader to the other. When a Member of Parliament leaves office, a new Member of Parliament wants to do their own projects and yet we know the money does not belong to them. When governors change hands, they initiate their own projects for the public to see. That distorts development completely. If you have 10 incomplete projects, you will waste everybody’s time. The money is wasted and the buildings also become dilapidated. The only way we can have sustainable development is to have sustainable decisions. These projects must be completed and sustained even whether there is change of guard or not. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill provides for very important mechanisms through which we can check the development in our constituencies. Counties must allow for equitable public participation. In this Bill, public access to information is being promoted. We know that we have a law on the right to information. How many people have looked for that information, leave alone being given the information when they have requested for it? It is very important that public participation exposes to Kenyans their rights, the fact that this money is theirs and that they should plan for it themselves. It ensures that when they have planned for the money they have a right to demand to know how much has been spent, how much has been left and so forth. So, this law will completely transform how devolution will take place. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, personally, I have no doubt that this Bill will re-energize the development that will arise out of devolution. People will get to know the difference between that time when there was no devolution. There is devolution now. Kenyans participating in decision making will create that synergy. They will be able to monitor and evaluate projects in their counties. This will make life easier for us. Transparency and accountability will be 100 per cent promoted. This is because when you have declared what will be developed and when the public do their monitoring and evaluation, they will feel that they are respected through this kind of a law. This law brings in the issue of respecting the users of the funding. We will be more transparent and accountable in our deeds and this will benefit many people. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I truly believe the non-accountability and the corruption cases reported year in, year out, by the Controller and Auditor-General will be minimized when members of the public are involved in decision making and prioritizing of programmes . As I said, the issue of County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) is important. It is a long term programme for every county for five years. However, there is another one called the Annual Development Plan (ADP) which must also find its way to this House so that we discuss. When we talk of public participation, as part of the public and leadership that oversights and represents the people, we need to ask ourselves at what stage we will demand for accountability in terms of the ADP of any county. We need to look for ways in which the ADP and all the other programmes are tagged through the public 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."
}