Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1044696,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1044696/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 27,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "the Senate, there might be infringement of small parties that have 15, 20 or 30 membership. How will we determine leadership positions or Committee chairmanship? In the two Houses of Parliament that have existed post the current Constitution, it has been simple because we have always had a contest between two coalitions. However, we might get to a point where there will be three or four more coalitions and deciding the House leadership will become chaotic. Mr. Speaker, Sir, party leaders do not legislate in this House. How can we legislate and give them powers for them to abuse the way it is being abused in the current session of Parliament? Let us give ourselves that power. Let us sit here and canvass with our colleagues. If they believe that you warrant to be the Senate Majority Whip, Senate Deputy Majority Whip, Senate Majority Leader, Chairman of a Parliamentary Committee or any other position, they will grant you that position. It should not be determined by people sitting at a particular hotel. Yesterday, I watched in bewilderment the Secretary General (SC) of Jubilee Party saying that ‘we have decided’. Parliamentary leadership is my decision as a Member of Jubilee Party. It is we, as a Coalition who sit, as Members elected in this House, and decide who becomes a leader. As a way of democracy, we have no problem. When you table the documents later on as has been requested by the ‘Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Murkomen’ we will get to know who supported it or not. That is democracy. However, what I find to be an insult to us, as leaders, and it is something that we have allowed to be perpetuated for long, is the issue where a small group of mandarins sits somewhere and reads out at a press conference and say, for example, from today, Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jr. ceases to be this or that. It is unfortunate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I plead with my colleagues that at some point, let us have this candid discussion about how to ensure that as Members of Parliament (MPs), we determine leadership in this House without the intricacies of party leadership."
}