- Bill states that the statistics office, which shall be domiciled in the planning docket, shall be headed by a county statistician.
- The office holder shall be competitively recruited by the County Public Service Board on the advice of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission
Image: PILI CHIMERAH
County governments will soon be required to develop their own statistical data to aid in their planning and distribution of resources if a new Senate bill is enacted.
The County Statistics Bill, 2021 establishes statistics office in every county to collect, compile, analyse, abstract and disseminate statistical information relating to the devolved functions.
“The office shall primarily be responsible for compiling, analysing, abstracting and dissemination of statistical data relating to the devolved functions,” reads the bill sponsored by Nominated Senator Farhiya Haji.
In collecting the data, the office shall use standards and methodologies approved by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
It states that the statistics office, which shall be domiciled in the planning docket, shall be headed by a county statistician.
The office holder shall be competitively recruited by the County Public Service Board on the advice of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
Farhiya argued that the bill, which has been introduced in the House for First Reading, seeks to establish a county statistical system that will enable evidence-based planning for development.
“Statistics are an indispensable component of planning for any government. Without timely and accurate statistical data, a government cannot match resources with needs,” reads the bill in part.
It adds, “There is a nexus between statistics and good governance in that reliable statistical data is vital for good decision making, poverty reduction strategies, and economic development strategies, access to information, transparency and accountability in governance.”
The proposed law adds that county statistician shall coordinate with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics that the statistics held by the bureau are accessible to the members of the public.
For proper coordination with KNBS and effective functioning of the county statistics offices, the bill establishes intergovernmental technical committee on statistics headed by the PS responsible for matters related to statistics.
The committee shall comprise, among others, one county executive committee member responsible for matters relating to statistics nominated by the Council of County Governors, one county statistician , three people appointed by the CS in charge of statistics and KNBS director general.
It shall be responsible for developing strategies which shall ensure uniform standards, policies and methodologies amongst the various offices of county statistician.
“It shall examine and make recommendations on the formulation and implementation of statistical programmes of the office on an annual basis,” it reads in part.
The proposed law states that the national and the county governments shall consult and cooperate with each other in the performance of their functions including the collection, analysis, dissemination and use of statistical information.
It states that the county executive committee member shall responsible for statistics shall in every four months after the end of each financial year, make a report to the respective governor on new statistical information on matters affecting the county government.
“The county statistician may, at the request of any person and upon the payment of the prescribed fee, provide to that person any information relating to the functions of the office under this Act,” it states.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara