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{
    "id": 1047030,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1047030/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 13,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Members that are supposed to deal with the issues that will arise here on. I hope that they will be communicated to. Hon. Members, as you will recall, yesterday Wednesday, 10th February 2021 during the Morning Sitting, the House adopted its Calendar for the Fifth Session regular sessions. In the First Part of this Session (from February 9 to May 6, 2021), the House will be holding five Sittings each week as follows: this is important for Members to note. If need be, you can take note of this in your communication gadgets. (i) Tuesdays (Afternoon) from 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.; (ii) Tuesdays (Evening) from 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.; (iii) Thursdays (Morning) from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.; (iv) Thursdays (Afternoon) from 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.; and (v) Thursdays (Evening) from 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. Hon. Members, you will notice that two additional Sittings have been introduced on Tuesdays and Thursdays, commencing 7.00 p.m. until 9.00 p.m. The recommendation by the House Business Committee that the House holds additional sittings in the evenings was informed by a proposal to create additional sitting time to allow for consideration of more business by the House, particularly due to the increased number of Private Members Bills and Motions. Hon. Members, this initiative by the House Business Committee can only be achieved if Members dutifully attend the sittings so as to ensure compliance with the provisions of Article 121 of the Constitution on quorum as read together with our Standing Order No.34 providing for quorum at commencement of any sitting. To this end, I wish to urge party whips and their deputies to endeavour to rally their memberships to ensure that the House quorates at all times for purposes of achieving the agenda of the House for this part of this Fifth Session. I thank you. Hon. Members, that begins today. In this Sitting, the House will rise at 6.30 p.m. After 30 minutes, we will resume at 7.00.p.m. for the evening Sitting. This is not unusual, Hon. Members. Many jurisdictions hold such sittings, especially if they have a larger number of Members. We also noticed that we deny Members who have researched on certain issues sufficient time to contribute and indeed inform their colleagues of the results of their research work. When Members are given only five minutes to contribute and a Member has researched on a matter, there is very little one can really deliver. So, this is a trial to see whether we can transact more business and Members be given more time to contribute. Again, there are Members who have engagements in the afternoons of Tuesdays and Thursdays and are able to make their way into Nairobi by about 4.00 p.m. or 5.00 p.m. That sitting allows them to still come and transact or participate in the transaction of business in the House. I hope the Whips have taken note. I only see Hon. (Dr.) Eseli. The others have taken leave of absence or what? I hope the party leaders will assist. We want to see whether it is possible for us to transact more business. Indeed, if you recall, towards the tail-end of the last Session, we had to move a Motion here to save very many private Members’ Bills which ordinarily would have died. We felt as the House Business Committee that it would be better to save them and allocate ourselves more time so as to transact business. People who do not understand how parliaments work out there are today making their own innuendos as to reason for the extra sittings. But they are the same ones who will still argue that we have passed very few Bills. It is difficult to understand them. They think Bills should be passed when people are in the village. We have to adjust, of course, with the COVID-19 situation still prevailing. We felt as the HBC that this would be a better way to try and accommodate Members, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}