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{
    "id": 106690,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/106690/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 335,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Keynan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 41,
        "legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
        "slug": "adan-keynan"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the purpose of this visit was to review the performance of our missions abroad. The Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations has a very difficult task which is different from other Committees because we are charged with the responsibility of overseeing our 52 missions abroad. Recently, there has been some media bashing on the role of Committees. I would, for purposes of record, appreciate that this Parliament has come a long way. Those of us who have been in other Parliaments, there was a time when Parliament was a department in the Office of the President. The reforms that were introduced by the legendary former parliamentarians like Mr. Oloo-Aringo that had removed Parliament--- In the current Constitution, there is separation of the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. But at that time, Parliament was one of the small departments in the Office of the President. Some of the gains the institution of Parliament - I am proud to be a Member of the 10th Parliament, I have also served in other Parliaments - have been made as a result of efforts of individual Members. I do remember when Mr. Oloo-Aringo came up with the Motion that resulted in the current Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC); he was de-whipped from his party. Later on, we had to call for an urgent Kamukunji to make sure that there is no PSC without Mr. Oloo-Aringo, and it worked. That is when the Bill was passed and the then President assented to it. Today, all of us are beneficiaries. The one thing that I would like the media to appreciate is: How do we carry out the oversight if we cannot visit any of the missions? These are the realities. So, we must be prepared. The taxpayers must be prepared because Parliament has its own role to put some of the things in order so as to effect the oversight role. Therefore, when you hear Members of this Committee or any other Committee have gone out of this country to do some work, it is not that they are going for leisure. It is not that they are happy to be out of Kenya but it is because what they are required to do legitimately requires them to visit some of those countries. This is just for purposes of record."
}