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"id": 1494822,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494822/?format=api",
"text_counter": 55,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13590,
"legal_name": "Murungi Kathuri",
"slug": "murungi-kathuri"
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"content": "Sen. Kavindu Agnes, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1494823,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494823/?format=api",
"text_counter": 56,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kavindu Muthama",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13733,
"legal_name": "Agnes Kavindu Muthama",
"slug": "agnes-kavindu-muthama"
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. It is sad to be here every Wednesday morning and not see any Cabinet Secretary coming to answer the questions. It is important for them to know that we have cancelled all other businesses for this House on Wednesday Morning to give the questions first priority because we needed to ask questions on the issues they should be doing. We have even cancelled Committee meetings. I am here this morning because of the 1998 bomb blast. The people are suffering without any care from our Government. I was ready to face the Cabinet Secretary this morning to explain why these people cannot get medication. We have a lot of problems in our counties, especially Machakos County because SHA is not in operation when people go to hospital, yet they have paid their premiums. They cannot be discharging from hospitals and call us to foot their bills, and we keep on making phone calls to NHIF to know what is happening. This is wrong. The Cabinet Secretary for Health must appear before the Senate to answer the questions. Even if she is unwell, she has an assistant or the Principal Secretary at the Ministry who should appear. It is not right for us to waste our time coming here every Wednesday and find there is no work we are coming here to do. Thank you."
},
{
"id": 1494824,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494824/?format=api",
"text_counter": 57,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13590,
"legal_name": "Murungi Kathuri",
"slug": "murungi-kathuri"
},
"content": " Sen. Kavindu Muthama, our Standing Orders do not provide for the appearance of any other person except the Cabinet Secretary. The Principal Secretary is not admissible in the Senate. Check Standing Order No.51C. It will The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
},
{
"id": 1494825,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494825/?format=api",
"text_counter": 58,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13590,
"legal_name": "Murungi Kathuri",
"slug": "murungi-kathuri"
},
"content": "guide you on who should appear. Only the Cabinet Secretary should appear before the Senate. Sen. Wakili Sigei, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1494826,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494826/?format=api",
"text_counter": 59,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wakili Sigei",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. This House has a very high status under the Constitution, and summoning the Cabinet Secretaries to respond to Questions by Hon. Members is an important role. As we have previously stated in this House, the Cabinet Secretaries, who are required to appear at any given time, have appropriate notice. The Questions they are supposed to come and answer are already available to them in good time. For the Cabinet Secretaries not to appear this morning, some of them with very flimsy reasons, is an utter disrespect of the House. Being one of the Members of the House who has come in this morning to ask questions regarding not only the interests of the people whom I, in particular, represent but the entire country, it is unfortunate that we do not have them appearing in the House. At the risk of creating an extension of the lamentations that you previously heard, I have looked at the two letters from the two Cabinet Secretaries. One letter has been received from the Cabinet Secretary for Health after the House has started. She has explained that she is indisposed. From the previous resolutions of this House, this does not stand as the reason a Cabinet Secretary is unable to appear before the House. Number two, we did not receive this letter yesterday at the Senate Business Committee. The Standing Orders of this House, which apply to all who are required to appear, require them to submit any excuse or letter in good time to justify their non-appearance. This shows utter disrespect to the House for the Cabinet Secretary to write and say she is merely indisposed. I would want to agree with the Hon. Senator Chute and the rest of my colleagues who have said that it is high time we censure these Cabinet Secretaries who have shown disrespect to the House. We have a right to discuss their conduct and censure them. If they are unable to appear before the House, and for no reason at all that is justifiable, then they have no business being holders of such high offices. The other reason we should call them out is a letter received yesterday, which the Senate Business Committee (SBC) rejected. The Cabinet Secretary said in the letter that they were to attend a prior scheduled Ministerial event on black rhino ear notching and fitting of monitoring devices today. A Cabinet Secretary can delegate this to a person of the lowest rank in that particular Ministry. It cannot be a reason for a Cabinet Secretary to abandon a responsibility to appear before the House to fit in monitoring devices to a rhino in the national park. This is the sort of behaviour that we have said before: the moment these people get into office, they forget that they are holding such offices fin the interest of the Kenyans. The best interest of Kenyans can only be served by appearing before this House to answer questions of national importance that represent the people who the Senators represent in this particular House. This particular letter was rejected, and the Cabinet Secretary was asked to appear. We have not received a response to the letter that indicated to him or her that we are not buying the excuse. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
},
{
"id": 1494827,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494827/?format=api",
"text_counter": 60,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wakili Sigei",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "It is high time we censure these Cabinet Secretaries, so that they will appreciate the importance of appearing before the Senate. If they treat the House disrespectfully, they cannot take their responsibility as Cabinet Secretaries as seriously as they should. We have many Kenyans who are capable, willing, and ready to serve in such offices. So, even as we regret the time we have wasted this morning, we also call upon the relevant authorities to summon these irresponsible Cabinet Secretaries to appear before the House. We are struggling right now with the issue of the health sector of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and Social Health Authority (SHA). This would have been an important opportunity for the Cabinet Secretary for Health to explain the situation to the Kenyans as it is. Yesterday, we saw the national news carrying a position taken to suspend the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SHA. This is a time when Kenyans need to understand the things or positions or options the Government is taking, in order to make sure that they streamline the representations that we have in the Ministry of Health. If the Cabinet Secretary can just wake up in the morning and say that she is indisposed and cannot appear before the Senate, we do not buy it, and it is not acceptable. We are calling them out because they are failing Kenyans and the Government that is highly expected to perform and support the programmes that help the people of Kenya. It is not acceptable at all. We do not, as a House, condone such character and behaviour by the Cabinet Secretary. I join my colleagues in calling them out and saying this is improper. I thank you."
},
{
"id": 1494828,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494828/?format=api",
"text_counter": 61,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13590,
"legal_name": "Murungi Kathuri",
"slug": "murungi-kathuri"
},
"content": " Hon. Senators, the time we had set for this intervention is almost over. When I give you time to contribute, please, take two minutes. The whole country heard the Senate this morning. The earlier we conclude this discussion, the better. I want to give one of the Senators who had a question to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Sen. Murgor, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1494829,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494829/?format=api",
"text_counter": 62,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Murgor",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to add my displeasure about the behaviour of Cabinet Secretaries. This shows the attitude that our Cabinet Secretaries have towards the Senate. It seems like they have no regard for the Senate. They probably do not have a clue about what this House stands for or what the members represent. Therefore, that translates into them not prioritising the situation and the plight of the citizens that these Members represent. When the citizens of Kenya bring their situations and plights in hospitals and to us, these people have no interest in attending and prioritising the situation of health, those killed by elephants, and many others. Therefore, their priorities are not Kenyan. They are not in agreement with what Members of this House consider to be Kenyans' concerns. The highest level of action needs to be taken so that a lesson is learnt, bringing awareness and awakening status to the Cabinet secretaries. I agree with one Member that said that we should take our---"
},
{
"id": 1494830,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494830/?format=api",
"text_counter": 63,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 13590,
"legal_name": "Murungi Kathuri",
"slug": "murungi-kathuri"
},
"content": " Sen. Murgor we had set two minutes so that we can conclude this discussion. Proceed, Sen. Ogola. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
},
{
"id": 1494831,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494831/?format=api",
"text_counter": 64,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Ogola",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I was happy to come and share with the Cabinet Secretary for Health especially because we have come from recess and we have been engaging with members of our communities. We have a lot of issues that are affecting health which we needed the Cabinet Secretary to clear. This morning, I am standing in for Sen. Tobiko, and Sen. Mumma especially to get clearance on the Linda Mama initiative which sought to achieve universal health access to maternal child health services. We all know my interest on maternal issues and so I missed this opportunity. However, I hope the Cabinet Secretary is going to get well and come to the Senate so that we are able to sort a number of these issues. People do not decide when they fall sick and so I am happy at least the Cabinet Secretary wrote a letter. A number of my colleagues have compared it to the impeachment process of the Deputy President that we had. I remember the Senate took its time and adjourned at the request of Senior Counsel, Hon. Paul Muite, when he indicated that the former Deputy President was sick and we took a break. When we came back, the Senior Counsel also requested that we break up to 5.00 p.m. and the Senate did so. That was a demonstration that we also appreciate that people do not choose when to get sick. We had a constitutional timeframe to observe but we went ahead. It showed we respected the right of the Deputy President then. When the Cabinet Secretary gets well, we will come out to the Senate to share on the ---"
}
]
}