Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1066619,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1066619/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 57,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": "an elected leader from a position. That is power given only to the highest courts in the land and the Senate. I beg you that when you are dealing with a matter of such weight, we treat it with decorum so that anybody looking at the proceedings in this House knows we are taking this matter seriously. This governor who may eventually be tried by the Senate and those who accused him would want to feel that he is being given a fair chance. I beg that we appreciate the weight of what we are about to do. To answer Sen. Malalah’s question, which I think is critical at this moment, the decision we are making is whether to investigate through Plenary or the Committee. That is a decision, which the Senate itself must make. That is a decision of the Senate comprising of all the Members, particularly the county delegations. With respect, I do not want anybody to feel that is like a pre-judgment. We are going by the history we have had. There were moments during hon. Wambora’s case that almost everybody unanimously felt the correct way to go was through the Committee. I think we have shifted goalposts. One comes and we think the Committee is good, another comes and we think Plenary is the best way to go. I like what the SBC decided that it is now the Senate - not the SBC - sitting as Plenary to decide whether we go by Plenary or Committee because when the SBC makes that decision and it is brought before the House, you can just get from the air what the feelings of the Members are. In fact, the last time the Senate Majority Leader declined to move the Motion not because people did not like the Committee but because of the names he saw. If you want to go the Committee way let us make that decision. We can then come with another Motion with names and you make the decision. If you decide that we are going by way of Plenary, this matter ends here and the Speaker will proceed to read the charges and the trial will be by way of Plenary. This a very democratic process for us to make that decision. Finally, in my many years in Parliament and from my experience, each Senator has his self-worth when they come before the Senate as a parliamentarian. I can never be intimidated in my political life because I have seen many powerful people come and go. I have seen presidents come here and go. I have seen people who on their word would leave this House and be locked up on the same day. They have come and gone. I have seen very respected women in this country like hon. Grace Onyango who was in the committee for the special investigations relating to the disappearance of J.M. That made me very proud because those days there were very few women in politics. She was required to change a report of the National Assembly but she stood firm. I want to plead with you because we have got a heavy task. People out there feel we can be intimidated. We were brought to this House and we have powers, including trying governors. Next time we may have a Motion for the trial of the president. Will you be intimidated?"
}