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{
    "id": 1087123,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1087123/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 142,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "50 million of us to fit in one place, you send a representative in the form of a Senator representing a county. They even gave us the power of saying that each county carries the equivalent of one vote. That is how important the place of Parliament is. That tells you that whenever we sit and deliberate on issues that affect the lives of the people that we represent, it is expected that the other arms of Government and the Republic will stand guided. This comes at a very interesting time. If you read the newspapers today, you will see that the Chief Justice--- I do not know whether that communication was given. I saw in the newspapers today that the newly sworn in Chief Justice has sent a stinging letter to both Houses of Parliament saying that very soon, judicial officers will not come to Parliament over an invitation. I do not know whether that is true or an exaggeration of the media. I would wish to read that letter because I do not want to rely on newspaper articles. I, however, believe that the Chief Justice understands and knows the place of Parliament in our country. She knows what is expected each time a public officer is summoned. In fact, I dare say that the public officers who serve in the Judiciary should treat whatever discussions that have arisen out of that letter and understand that culpability is individual. I do not think that it is institutional. For example, if there is an audit query on you as a public officer and you have been invited before a House of Parliament, I do not foresee a situation where an institution can direct a particular individual not to appear before the House of Parliament. This is because if that Committee moves on to write the report and the House adopts it, to change whatever recommendations they would have made, will not be an easy task. It is a constitutional doctrine that the three arms of Government are supposed to work in consultation and with good cooperation, the way we always have. I believe that we have invited many members of the Executive. Sometimes you will find that in some occasions they are invited to appear before two committees or even before both Houses at the same time. It suffices when you send an invite, because it shows goodwill, cooperation, that you respect the place of Parliament in a democracy, and you understand that when Parliament has made a resolution on a particular matter, that is the general position of Kenya on a particular issue. Madam Deputy Speaker, I, therefore, wish to propose that once we are done with this Bill and it has gone through the normal procedures of Parliament, it quickly becomes part of our laws. It will be good to give a test to the many resolutions that this Senate will pass on account of various public officers, such as the directions that have been given on key national issues which nobody has had the time to follow through. You understand how as Members of Parliament (MPs), we have to balance between the work that we do here in Parliament and what we have to do in the constituency. So many things end up slipping through despite what we have said. It is my sincere hope that once this Bill becomes law, it will become a thing of the past. I, therefore, support and congratulate Sen. (Dr.) Zani for thinking this through. I give it my 100 per cent support because it will give the proper place of Parliament in our democracy once it is enforced. Thank you."
}