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{
    "id": 832876,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/832876/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 314,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, you have to appreciate that in 1963 Uasin Gishu County, where you come from, was called Sirikwa County Council. The people who ensured that service delivery was closer to the people were the former councillors. Therefore, devolution started a long time ago. They used to play very critical functions such as in education, healthcare and roads. These are functions that have been devolved under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. Those who grew up in the villages know that many roads were done by county councils. I know that the Senator for Kisumu County, Senator for Nairobi City County and Senator for Mombasa County did not have such opportunity. The councils did many things with regard to healthcare and roads. That is where real devolution came from. Rural development was initiated in the late 1990s through the District Commissioners (DCs) and in partnership with the former councillors. The issue of last mile connectivity, for example, was started way back even before the Jubilee Government made it a reality. Therefore, the 12,000 former councillors did a good job. The Mover has proposed we need to give them a one-off payment. Even though the Government says that there is no money to pay them, I know that there is money to pay them. When we went to address my County Assembly of Nandi, some of the Members of County Assembly (MCAs) were asking what would happen to them after serving one term. They wanted to know whether they would be paid. Those are challenges that we need to resolve, so that in the near future we do have MCAs, who were honourably retired by the people, struggling in the village, yet they did a lot and sacrificed for this nation. They are the opinion leaders. When you go to the villages and wards the opinion leaders and those who enlighten the public are normally the former councillors. Why is it hard to pay them Kshs1 million or Kshs1.5 million? I know that the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Budget will say that there is no money, yet we are losing so much money"
}