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{
    "id": 826846,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/826846/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 325,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ol Kalou, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Kiaraho",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2648,
        "legal_name": "David Njuguna Kiaraho",
        "slug": "david-njuguna-kiaraho"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to add my views on this particular Bill. First and foremost, I would like to emphasise that this Bill has come at no better time because of what is happening in my Nyandarua County. Some of the issues which have been highlighted in this particular Bill are things we see being done openly in Nyandarua County. In particular, I would like to comment on the issue of the three-quarter majority. This is a critical issue. On the issue of impeaching a speaker, I feel that the threshold should remain at three quarters. This morning, there was purported removal of the Speaker of the Nyandarua County Assembly. The role of the speaker is to bring the House together and to put things in order within the county assembly. Out of experience, this is one issue which can be misused. We have seen it in Makueni, Embu, Nakuru and now it is happening in Nyandarua. I think we should make it a bit difficult to impeach a speaker. We have seen that most of the governors are getting drunk with power. Their first target in most of the counties I have mentioned, and I think in many more which have not come to the open, is the speaker because he has a key role to play in managing the county assembly. So, the issue of reducing from three-quarters to two-thirds is something I feel is negative and we should resist it with all might. The other issue is that of making the governor the one to convene the first meeting. I feel we should not give the governor these powers. They should be rested to the presidency. That is one issue which we should also resist. The other issue, which I feel is quite important, is that of the deputy speaker in terms of the impeachment or how they are elected, like what happened in Nyandarua County this afternoon. Actually, some of the issues which happened are criminal and I think this should be looked at in a deeper way. There is no way some county assembly members can purport to have made up their mace. I do not know where they went and made the speaker’s gown. They came and declared that they had done a coup. When any county government reaches this level, it is wanjiku who is suffering. I strongly believe that when such a Bill comes to the House, we should look at it critically to make sure that, with all fairness, we safeguard the interest of wanjiku in our counties."
}