verbatim report of constituency public hearings ... - ConstitutionNet

17Com. Bishop Njoroge: Now, we are going to have that memorandum. Because we have to give others a chance. Anybodywho has a mobile, please can you switch it off? Can you say your last point? Just one point.Joseph Karoki: As one of the main protectors of the Constitution, the freedom of the Judiciary should be protected in theConstitution.Com. Bishop Bernard Njoroge Thank you very much. Okay, leave the memorandum there. You have made importantpoints. Please do not mind because all this has gone to record. Asante sana. Tunataka Town clerk, tafadhali….Town Clerk: Thank you Chairman. This is a memorandum on behalf of Karatina Municipal Council and it has dwelt on a fewpoints. My name is Patrick N. Wainaina Councilor. My memorandum dwells on issues related to the local authorities inparticular in respect of election of mayors and chairmen of local authorities in Kenya. The present arrangement at the moment isthat Mayors and Chairmen of local authorities are elected from among the Councilors.Com. Bishop Njoroge: Patrick, please give us the recommendations. We want the recommendations for the future. Whatwould you want the City council to be like in the future?Patrick Wainaina: We think that the Mayors and the Chairmen of Local Authorities should be directly elected by the people.Now during creation and elevation of Local Authorities, sometimes those Local Authorities are uplifted or down graded withoutdue consideration in respect of the financial implication. We recommend that a Commission be created specifically to considerareas to be looked into for purposes of creation and elevation of local authorities. This should take into consideration therevenue paid and the population factor. Now, we feel that the present Public Service Commission of Kenya is overburdened bythe fact that it caters for all citizens in this country- so we feel that Local Authorities officers should be appointed by a specialcommission named local government staff commission. So, we feel that this should be created so that it caters for those officers.We feel that the present centralization of functions in the Central government, in respect of education health and roads should betransferred back to Local Authorities so that they can be effectively managed by the same of Local Authorities. These functionswere transferred to central government back in 1970. We feel that Local Authorities should have their own Local AuthoritiesNational Assembly. This will represent the interests of Local Authorities throughout Kenya - as opposed to the presentarrangement so that the Speaker of the Local Authority Assembly should actually be a nominated Member of Parliament. Wefeel that the present arrangement where the Minister for Local government has absolute power of control of LocalAuthority……should be reviewed so that the control of the Local Authority can be regionalized at every Provincial level. So,Mr. Chairman, those are my views. Thank you.