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{
    "id": 1044694,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1044694/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 25,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to further add my voice to this issue as an interested Member from the Majority Side of these changes that are continuously becoming regular. It has become like a musical chair to be a leader in this side of the House. Therefore, my only point of concern is that, as legislators, it is time to have a discussion on how to handle the Political Parties Act. We had great debate last time when the Act was brought before this House in 2016. We should give ourselves more power, with the exception of, Sen. Moses Wetangula, who is a party leader, I do not see anyone else who is a party leader here. It is increasingly becoming clear that if you are a legislator elected on a political party and it gets to a point where you disagree, sometimes out of good principles and values that clash with what the party leader is pursuing and the people that you represent, you serve at a precarious position. Therefore, we need to find a common ground discussion where Parliament is insulated from the whims of politics that is sometimes not useful to the business of this House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for example, how do you expect a Member of a political party to oversight the Executive if any form of criticism against a Government policy is considered disrespectful to the party leader? That is something that the Majority and Minority Sides struggle with these days. It is time we criticized each other. One many occasions, Members cast their votes without debating. This is because deep down, they do not believe the things that their parties are asking them to do. All of us have been victims of all these. So, now that we have gone beyond the phase of finger- pointing of saying you have done this or that, can we have an honest conversation as legislators? How will we ensure our responsibility as enshrined under Article 96 of our Constitution to legislate, oversight the Executive and represent our people without having to look back? Party leaders should learn that in a county, there is no mechanism to establish, for example, in the case of Sen. (Dr.) Kang’ata how many people voted for Jubilee as a party and supported him and not the President or the President and not him. It is not easy to measure. It is a wrong assumption to believe that since somebody is going for a higher seat, all of us benefited out of his influence in certain regions. It is a serious and candid conversation which the Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights should lead. When it comes to the matter of determining parliamentary party leadership, we are in the days of BBI which I am not sure whether it will live to see the light of the day. However, if it does and becomes a reality where we will be a House of 94 Members for"
}