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{
    "id": 886686,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/886686/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 356,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Malalah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13195,
        "legal_name": "Cleophas Wakhungu Malalah",
        "slug": "cleophas-wakhungu-malalah-2"
    },
    "content": "ahead and fasten the process of ensuring that they recruit village councils and community area administrators. We need to review the model of public participation. Public participation is being carried out as a formality. We have people who have not been to school but need to give their input in certain legislation or decisions of the county. However, you will see a county government officer going to the ground with a booklet of balance sheets in the name of budget estimates and asking a villager to endorse it as a way of public participation. We need to have a simplified mode when we go to get views from the public. Therefore, I encourage public officers who will be going to identify projects at that low level to simplify the model in which they will get views from the public. Madam Temporary Speaker, secondly on the issue of public participation, we need to encourage county officers to give enough notice. We have seen time and again cases where those villagers are given a one-day notice that, for example, tomorrow we will be in Inzakula Village for public participation. I think they should be given enough notice. There is also the issue of giving notices in newspapers. Most of these people do not read newspapers. I think county governments should also device a mechanism or communication channel that will reach many people on the ground in good time. I support this Bill because it provides for equitable distribution of resources. In the inaugural administration of county governments, we saw a lot of political inclination when it comes to resource distribution in the counties. If a Governor comes from Constituency B, then he will influence all resources to be channeled towards Constituency B. I, therefore, support this Bill because it provides a framework in which the county and wards will get equitable distribution of resources. I have seen a clause that specifically says that this will be done in consideration with other projects. I want to be very cautious with that clause because you can have a flagship project in, say, Mahiakalo Ward in Kakamega County, where we are constructing a stadium costing Kshs500 million. That in itself does not disqualify Mahiakalo Ward from getting monies from the equitable share, just because you have built a stadium there. We need to separate this and say that we shall have all wards benefit from the 15 per cent, regardless of the flagship projects being implemented there. Madam Temporary Speaker, I believe that this Bill will stimulate the economies of our respective counties because monies will be distributed deep into the villages that we represent. I take this opportunity to again thank the Committee on Finance and Budget and Sen. Kang’ata for coming up with this noble course. I assure Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) that once this Bill is passed in the Senate, let it not make them forget their core mandate as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya. The mandate of an MCA is stipulated in the Constitution and further elaborated in the County Governments Act. One is that they need to continue representing their people and this Bill gives them that opportunity by passing the criteria mode in which they will distribute the resources in their counties, that is, by mobilizing their community to identify right opportunities. Therefore, their representation role can be effected well using this Bill. Their second role is legislation, which again this Bill gives them an opportunity to debate and ensure that whatever criteria and formula that they will pass in their respective county assemblies, takes effect. They have an opportunity to exercise their constitutional mandate on the floor of the house."
}