Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1028856,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1028856/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Let me also add my voice to this very important historic and landmark ruling. I thank the team that represented us in the High Court. Let me also register that I was a Member of that group that energetically walked from this Chamber to Milimani High Court. One of the things that have come out pleasantly is reaffirmation and restatement of Article 110 of the Constitution as regard to Bills that may be generated by this House and the National Assembly. There has been a very clear definition on how the Fourth Schedule functions of the county governments that may have implication or reference to money Bills can be treated in the advisory that has been given by the Court. Madam Deputy Speaker, that clarity has come out quite well because hitherto there has been one monopolistic tendency by the “Lower House”, the National Assembly, in trying to adjudicate on matters on finance at the total exclusion of the Senate. The High Court, in the special bench, has redefined how this is going to be treated vis-à-vis Articles 218, 205, 110 of the Constitution, both of them taken together in subsection 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. That process has been defined. Like my colleagues have also alluded to earlier on, we now need to define the process in our Standing Orders, so that at no time will somebody short-circuit this process. This is because it will be clearly known. The Speaker has been given some teeth to bite. Our Speaker of the Senate can put his foot down, in concurrence with Article110 (3) of the Constitution; that before either House considers a Bill, the Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate shall jointly resolve any question as to whether it is a Bill concerning counties. If it is, they will resolve whether it is a special or ordinary Bill. Now we have locus standi where we can put our foot on. There are many other proposals in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that would be coming before this. I do not want to anticipate debate. However, there is one thing I just want to put forward; that let us take it in good spirit. There is no law which is punitive. The law is being made to improve whatever is to come in the future. It is the way we look at it that defines how we want to define that Bill. Therefore, let us not prejudge any Bill which may be coming before this House. My only advice at this stage would be that let us take it in its own stand. It must have The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}