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"id": 1111051,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
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"content": "Fortunately, we were involved in trying to help the House resolve this problem. As you will recall, Hon. Charles Kilonzo at the tail end of the 10th Parliament, the Standing Orders were revised. At that time, the provision was that a Member will stand and ask Questions to a chairman of a committee or the people you call chairpersons. We found that it was an extremely difficult situation that you would rise in your place there, ask Hon. Kareke Mbiuki a Question maybe about sewage, and expect him to give you an answer. He may have absolutely no idea where that sewer line is! Or another Member rises in their place and asks about some banditry attacks in such places like Kapedo, and the chairman of the committee, Hon. Mwathi, who is from Limuru, has to, first of all, look at google maps to know where Kapedo is. Obviously, we found ourselves in a very awkward situation. Sometimes also, just like when these Statements are brought, the chairperson is not really the owner of the Statement. In fact, I think we should congratulate Hon. Kareke Mbiuki, because, at least, he summoned people so as to understand and not just receive the information from the Ministry. This was just a way of trying to create some balance. That is why we came up with a provision, but some of you did not agree with it. We created a Committee on General Oversight. Hon. Duale is aware of that and I think several of you are too. It was expected that if that Committee was operationalised, then Questions would be answered by cabinet secretaries coming to the hallowed Floor of the House, but sitting in committee and not as a House in plenary. The expectation was that cabinet secretaries who had Questions to respond to would be here so that we help one another. In fact, even the country would know what those cabinet secretaries are doing. However, some people did not quite agree with us. They were called constitutional advisors. So, that thing was not operationalised because they argued about separation of powers. We still had to look for another middle ground, which is why we came up with the system where Questions are asked and they are read out here in plenary so that, at least, your constituents know that you are not asleep. They can hear you reading the Question, but we refer it to the Committee. Unfortunately, we do not have sufficient television and radio coverage when cabinet secretaries appear before the respective committees to answer Questions, but, at least, every Thursday afternoon, the Leader of the Majority Party will read out and indicate which cabinet secretaries are going to appear before which committees to respond to which Questions. So, at least, there is a kind of a follow-up mechanism on Questions. However, with regard to Statements when they are requested, unless you get a chair of a committee as active as Hon. Mwathi and Hon. Kareke Mbiuki, the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Lands, Hon. Racheal Nyamai, Hon. Pkosing and a few others, who will then summon cabinet secretaries and inform the Member seeking the Statement to be present to hear 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."
}