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{
    "id": 938756,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/938756/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 265,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "“When the county Governor is absent, the deputy county governor shall act as the county Governor”. Subsequently, Article 180 of the Constitution is very clear. It clearly states that a governor and a deputy governor are elected on the same ticket. In this country, we find ourselves in a situation where the courts - which is one arm of the Government – come up with very clear orders that a governor who has been elected by the people cannot have access to the office. Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, this governor is the same governor who appoints County Executive Committee Members (CECs) and chief officers (COs). We are in an environment where politics dictate and loyalty also rules in this country. If we find that the citizens of Kiambu County and Samburu County are suffering; it would be very wrong for us in this House, who are the people elected to defend the counties and their governments, to just sit and watch. When the County Governments Act was enacted, I am of the view that certain things were overlooked. Although the Constitution prohibits the deputy governor from carrying out certain functions like firing CECs or those people who are appointed by the governor when he is in office, nothing else stops him from reshuffling them. Currently, we have many problems in this country. There are so many pending bills; procurement laws and the Public Finance Management Act (PFM) have been violated. When a substantive governor is in office, some might even argue that everyone who is given business is someone who is close to that governor. All of a sudden, when the deputy governor now takes charge, because of the illness of the governor, that acting governor cannot do anything. Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, I decided that it is time we clarified this. People are suffering on the ground because the deputy governor is powerless. The deputy governor, having been elected on the same ticket as the governor, is not a flower-girl or flower-boy. He represents the people who elected him or her to office. We saw very well in Bomet, when the Lord decided to take the substantive Governor who had been elected, the Deputy Governor came in and took charge. In this country because of challenges either with the Judiciary or the budget, sometimes some matters in court will not be decided expeditiously. It will take a very long time. Should we wait for five years to lapse before a matter can be determined? At the same time, should the people of Kiambu and Samburu counties continue to be dictated upon by a Governor who is sitting on the fence? I think that this House has a very good opportunity to do something about this. I sit in the Committee on County Public Accounts and Investments (CPAIC). Whenever we ask the Controller of Budget to explain about certain things, they are"
}