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{
    "id": 832868,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/832868/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 306,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kinyua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13202,
        "legal_name": "John Kinyua Nderitu",
        "slug": "john-kinyua-nderitu-2"
    },
    "content": "fairly and equitably determine each councillor’s rightful benefits retrospectively; CONCERNED that the State Department for Social Services and Security, the State Department for Devolution and the National Treasury have to date not implemented the Committee’s recommendations on the Petition; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate calls upon the Principal Secretaries to the said State Departments and the National Treasury to take necessary steps to implement the recommendations contained in the Report. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is true that devolution started with councillors. They were the people in the smallest unit of governance; the local authorities. They did a lot. They built bridges, roads and paid schools fees using bursaries. It will be unfair not to consider them when former Members of Parliament (MPs) and other Government officials are being paid pension and gratuity. Therefore, it is unfair to subject councillors to this and not pay them this amount of money. Madam Temporary Speaker, councillors were not getting salaries then, they were only getting allowances which were only available when they collected revenue from the respective councils. Madam Temporary Speaker, many people want to insinuate that councillors were corrupt and illiterate. However, this is not true. The truth of the matter is they were wise people. I would like to remind you of councillor Ole Muya who used to give the professor of Mathematics, Hon. George Saitoti, a run for his money. Therefore, they are people of wisdom. A person like Hon. Karisa Maitha was the spokesperson of the people from the coast and he was a councillor. As we speak, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Najib Balala was once a councillor. Therefore, it is not fair for people to insinuate that councillors were illiterate. We also have Members of Parliament (MPs) who were once councillors, for example, Hon. Maina Kamanda, Hon. Ole Sukuya, the man who has the capability of moving rivers who is now the Governor of Kiambu County, Hon. Ferdinand Waititu without forgetting my colleague, the Senator for Murang’a County. Sen. Malalah is also a former councillor because MCAs stands for modified councillors."
}