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{
    "id": 893120,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/893120/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 286,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Roysambu, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Isaac Ndirangu",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2701,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Waihenya Ndirangu",
        "slug": "isaac-waihenya-ndirangu"
    },
    "content": "Senate with amendments on 7th November. As a Committee, we considered it and made a Report that we have tabled today. Copies are available for Members at the Table Office. In processing the Bill, the Committee invited comments from members of the public by placing advertisements in the print media pursuant to Article 118 of the Constitution. In spite of the request for the public to present memoranda, when the presentation time lapsed, we were only able to engage the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Council of Governors (CoG). We synthesised and discussed their presentations and memoranda together. The principle objective of the Bill is to put in place a framework for collation, analysis and dissemination of statistical information by the county governments. As you know, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, in planning for development, it is important that, any Government collects sufficient data to guide it in making decisions. Statistics is an important yardstick for any Government to determine whether it is meeting its development goals and providing services to its people. This Bill seeks to establish a county statistical system that will assist county governments to plan for the development of counties and measure the gains made by county governments in improving the lives of their people and their constituents. Statistics is governed by the Statistics Act Cap 112 that was enacted prior to the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution. Part Two of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution provides statistics as one of the functions of county governments. Therefore, the Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for all the 47 counties to collect, collate and analyse data that is specific to each county to enhance the functions of planning and decision making for development. This Bill provides for the establishment of a County Statistics Office in every county. Among its responsibilities, the office shall be collecting, compiling, analysing, abstracting and disseminating statistical information on devolved functions under Part Two of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. It will ensure coordination of operations in county governments and its other bodies that are involved in compilation and dissemination of statistics and related information. This will avoid duplication of collection of statistical information and allow attainment of compatibility and integration of statistics compiled by official bodies. The Bill will advise the county governments on the use and development of statistical information. It will create the office of the County Statistician in every county who will be the head of the County Statistics Office. This officer will be recruited competitively and appointed by the county public service board of each county. This will also be a forum for consultation and coordination on matters relating to statistics since both levels of governments, National Government and county governments, have a role in collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical data. The county statistics offices will ensure access of statistical information to members of the public. As you know, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, our Constitution and laws provides for access to information. This is also captured in the Access to Information Act, Act No.31 of 2016 that we passed in the 11th Parliament. This Bill requires a County Executive Committee Member, who is responsible for statistics in the county to prepare an annual report and share it with the governor. It shall also be disseminated to the public and tabled in the Senate. The Committee has considered this Bill and proposed several clauses to be amended during the Committee of the whole House. All these amendments are geared towards improving the Bill further and to make it a comprehensive instrument that will guide the country’s and counties’ statistical systems. The amendments are for purposes of uniformity. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}