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{
    "id": 893148,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/893148/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 314,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kwanza, FORD-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2065,
        "legal_name": "Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi",
        "slug": "ferdinard-kevin-wanyonyi"
    },
    "content": "Secondly, in moving the Motion, the Vice-Chair mentioned the fact that this is a very important area and that we need to have somebody appointed county government statistician. To me, that is important. If today you want statistical information from the county level, it is difficult. I have personally gone to my county and realised that you cannot know the number of people residing there. You will not even know the number of projects that are in that area. Given that the position will be created upon the passage of this Bill, it will be easier to access such information. I hope this will be done as soon as possible so that we have a position of statistician in the county so that such officers can provide whatever information may be required. Currently, you go out there for statistical information but you do not know who to go to. The Committee should also emphasise the fact that we need to have a liaison department that will liaise the information from the central government going down to the county government. I have visited two or three counties and there is no linkage. Apart from the statistician, some of the liaison offices that were created at the time devolution started to be implemented have been given seats in some corners in some offices. Those guys are frustrated. Some of them have been recalled to the national Government. So, as we create this office in the counties, we should also create the position of liaison officer so that he can liaise the information between the national government, particularly the ministry, and the county government. It is important to have accurate information and figures for planning purposes. I do not know whether Members have read news about 16 million Kenyans looking for jobs. The figure may not be very accurate but it is around that number. Most of these people have moved to urban areas. Therefore, there is need for county governments to have information on the migration of youths who are looking for jobs in counties to enable county governments provide the required social amenities in the various sectors. We need to have reliable statistical figures. Somebody said something to which I agree. If you do not have the correct numbers, and if you do not plan to succeed, you are actually planning to fail. The emphasis should be on county governments to have their planning based on statistics originating from that level. Correct figures will give correct information for planning purposes to support whatever activities county governments may want to undertake. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, in order to avoid wastage, we should have statistics that are correct. Therefore, appointing somebody to be in charge of statistics at the county level will end the wastage that we are seeing across the country. I read somewhere in the newspapers today that my county has to account for Kshs2 billion. I think they were just guessing and shooting in the dark. They did not have the right information. I think that is the situation. Therefore, getting the right figures will help counties to plan. This Bill is vital and very timely. I hope its passage will help county governments save on the wastage that we see because the so called-county executive managers can be able to give governors correct figures. Therefore, if they appear before the Senate, as it is supposed to be the case, they will have the right information. The passage of this Bill will be a win-win situation. County executive members will be able to give correct information to governors so that when they appear before the Senators they are not chased away. I am told that one governor came with insufficient information and was told to go back and come with the correct information. I thank the Committee for coming up with this Bill. I hope it will help us to do what is supposed to be done at the county level. With those remarks, I support. 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."
}