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{
    "id": 1059462,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1059462/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 296,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "Madam Deputy Speaker, I do not have the luxury to watch the process and abstain from this very important process because I have a constitutional duty to contribute to this process of amending our Constitution. Therefore, since it is a matter of course, it is a must for us to participate in this process. Others have initiated it and it has come to this House. Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the Co-Chair, Sen. Orengo and the rest of the Committee Members for locating the place of Parliament and institution of the Senate in terms of its contribution to this process. I am of the school of thought that believes that the process and content of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020 is subject to deliberations by this House. It is subject to the decision that will be made by this House. We are not a rubber stamp. I believe that this House has the responsibility to advise the country before we talk about referendum as to whether it is right for us to go for a referendum with certain issues contained in that Bill. We have also a responsibility to ensure that there is harmony of the various provisions of the Constitution. There are many examples that are being given to the Committee, including by IEBC on delimitation of boundaries among others. Madam Deputy Speaker, I believe that this House will have to give proper advice to those who are promoters of this Bill as to whether or not we should be able to go to referendum with the Bill as it is. Madam Deputy Speaker, as a Senator who has opposed the amending of the Constitution at this point in time, if all of us in this House are given chance to participate in this process, without looking at this group or the other, I believe that our contribution including, my contribution, may become of great value to the Senate and to the promoters of the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill as to what kind of Kenya we are going to have. I have said this before informally and I want to say it on the Floor of this House that when the day comes for deliberating and debating this very important Motion, I hope that no one will come to this House and say that every Senator has two or three minutes. On the contrary, instead of being given the 15 or 20 minutes that we usually use here, we should increase the time for every Senator to have 30 minutes to contribute so that we can record our observations, views and thoughts on the concerns we have about this Bill."
}