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"id": 91265,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/91265/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Maj. Sugow",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Public Service",
"speaker": {
"id": 142,
"legal_name": "Aden Ahmed Sugow",
"slug": "aden-sugow"
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"content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity, first of all, to thank all the hon. Members who contributed to this Motion. We take their contributions very positively and we will ensure that those issues that do not require any extra funding are implemented. I would like to respond to a few issues that have been raised. First of all, there is the issue of attitudinal problems amongst our civil servants, particularly at the higher echelons, respect for elective office and, generally, performance problems. This is one of the issues I raised in my speech with regard to performance appraisal systems we have been working on over the last few years and for which reward and punishment issues are being worked on to ensure that civil servants remain accountable to all levels of the public, whether they are leaders or ordinary wananchi. The other issue I want to talk about is on pension which Mr. Musila was concerned about. We are undergoing reforms and we believe that the delays that are currently taking place will be addressed once we start to get the necessary funding. If there will be a delay there will be automatic benefit to the pensioner. Therefore, whoever will be responsible will pay the price for that. On the issue of hardship allowance, the Chairman talked about some officers not being paid that allowance and commuter allowance. I agree with him. After further consultations, we managed to get Kshs2 billion for commuter allowance, but hardship allowance has not been touched in this financial year. We got Kshs2 billion for commuter allowance this financial year and Kshs3.7 billion for the next two years. Procurement is a major bottleneck for performance in the public sector. It is an issue that we need to address wholly. The issue of employment of chiefs and lower cadre staff has now been taken to the districts. I am talking about clerks and Job Group F officers whose employment has been taken to the districts. Although there is a set criterion, it all depends on the situation, that is, what is available on the ground as far as the quality of applicants is concerned. Therefore, it is not cast in stone. The best available is what will be considered and that is being implemented. I agree very much with hon. Shabesh that there is serious gender disparity in the Civil Service. This has been a problem in the past and we have been addressing it. Today, we have only one Ministry where there are more women than men, that is, the Ministry of Medical Services. In the higher echelons, though, there are more men than women. So, we have a serious problem as far as gender parity is concerned. The Ministry is cognizant of this fact and is addressing it to intercede in respective Ministries. The technical Ministries have been giving us many problems because there are few women engineers, doctors and so on. Certain careers have fewer women than men. It is these Ministries which have more men employees than women. With this allocation, we have a challenge. The Ministry requested for Kshs1.4 billion, but it has received Kshs1.2 billion. The Kshs1.4 billion was the ceiling that was set by the Treasury. We, however, still received below that ceiling. Performance, as the Chairman has indicated, will in a way, be affected. However, we will go out of our way to ensure that we perform our level best and ensure that whatever money that we have been allocated is used for the right purpose and to the fullest. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to move."
}