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{
    "id": 917107,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/917107/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 287,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Makueni, WDM-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Daniel Maanzo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2197,
        "legal_name": "Daniel Kitonga Maanzo",
        "slug": "daniel-kitonga-maanzo"
    },
    "content": "devolution is effective is the Senate. If you move across the country, you will find that there is no proper oversight of county governments. For example, the defunct county councils across the country used to do better in terms of garbage collection. If you move around today, you will find garbage burning in a number of important towns in almost every county in the country. I believe that is one of the things that matter. Issues of cleanliness, health, devolution, water and many other issues are critical. Many of the counties have not used their budgets sufficiently. Therefore, if the Senate were to call itself back to order, it would realise that it has more work than it imagines. It has a lot to do. That work has not been done year in, year out. So, I believe the Senate is important. Devolution is important. The Senate has to just follow the law because the law is very clear. There is nothing to seek interpretation in court. Even if they were to go to court, the courts follow the law. The courts do not invent the law; they only interpret the law, which is very clear. I believe the courts will tell them clearly: “Devolution is important, do your work of overseeing county governments so that we have effective management of our resources.” So far, the Senate has failed in this regard. We have passed a number of laws as required by the law. We have to ensure that Bills that originates in the Senate are quickly processed through this Assembly so that devolution can be effective. We had the County Government (Amendment) Bill, and all the legislations they brought here given priority. We made sure that they were given priority. We have debated and approved them, and released them for presidential assent so that the country can be served better. On our part, we have done our duty intelligently and passed all the necessary laws. In the event that there are mistakes – mistakes can occur – there are proper channels of rectifying mistakes so that we can serve Kenyans effectively. Therefore, I challenge the Senate to rein in on counties, as it is supposed to do by law. The Senate should oversee county governments properly. On the matter of the Statutory Instruments Act, to which the Senate wants to be part of, we have the National Assembly and the County Assemblies. The County Assemblies oversee the county executives. The County Assemblies have a similar structure that enables them to ensure that laws that are passed at that level are properly executed. So, there is absolutely no role for the Senate when it comes to implementation of the Statutory Instruments Act. In fact, if the Act were to be amended, it would still come back to this House because we are the ones who are supposed to deal with it. The law is very clear that the Senate has no role in this Act. There is a lot for them to do. The best thing is for every person who has been elected by Kenyans, who expect service, to rethink or soul-search and check the counties without fear or favour or even without wanting to save a governor in anticipation that one day a senator can also become a governor. Senators must thoroughly deal with governors who do not follow the law – especially those who misuse public funds – or if an Assembly is misguided in one way or another. It is the role of the Senate to ensure that each and every County Assembly follows the law, is effective and serves Kenyans as required by the Constitution."
}