By A, KNA
The chairman parliamentary broadcasting and library committee Daniel Nanok has called on the county assembly of Elgeyo Marakwet to set aside funds for the construction of a public library in Iten county headquarters.
Nanok said while the construction of libraries is a devolved function, the committee was aware that some counties may not have adequate funds for the same but if they allocate some funds, they can seek more funding from the national government.
“We have been informed that the county is among those which receive least funding from the treasury. However, there is a legal provision for the national government to support such an initiative for the sake of residents,” he said.
The chair said the committee was aware that not all counties have public libraries saying there were only 64 public libraries in the country with two of them being in Nairobi, one in Nakuru and the rest 61 being located in 33 counties.
The deputy governor Grace Cheserek who received the committee said the county has only one library which is located in Chesongoch in the new Kerio Valley sub county.
The committee is on a tour of libraries in the country with an aim to establishing parliamentary corners where residents can be able to interact with both the national assembly and the senate.
Nanok said the committee wanted to start with the existing libraries as a pilot project and later see if they can expand it to every constituency.
The chair said the parliamentary corner will be a place where hansard reports, motions and bills passed in parliament will be availed to enable wananchi easily access them.
“We want citizens to understand the process of law making by bringing parliamentary proceedings from Nairobi to the grassroot to enable more Kenyans access any law passed in parliament at a place convenient to them,” he said.
Keiyo North MP and a member of the committee Adams Kipsanai said parliament had realized that there was little connection between the people and the national parliaments and therefore the need to bring parliament to the people.
“We want people to access the hansard reports at the local level and in doing so appreciate the contribution of their leaders,” he said.
