{"id":1124585,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1124585/?format=json","text_counter":135,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Olekina","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":407,"legal_name":"Ledama Olekina","slug":"ledama-olekina"},"content":"Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to remind this House about what we have addressed in the past. I do not know whether we have selective amnesia or it depends on who is sitting on that seat. You made a ruling on this matter in this House earlier on and the HANSARD will bear me witness. Let me put it very clearly that I do not blame the Speaker. I blame the Chairpersons of the Committees. In the Committee that I seat, when we refuse to accept the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) sometimes the Chairpersons says “No, it is okay let us give them an opportunity to be heard”. I sit in both the Health and Energy Committees. It has happened severally. So, let us call a spade a spade. The moment we become honest, we shall make progress. Article 153, (3) of the Constitution is very clear. It states- (3) A Cabinet Secretary shall attend before a committee of the National Assembly, or the Senate, when required by the committee, and answer any question concerning a matter for which the Cabinet Secretary is responsible. When I hear Sen. (Eng.) Mahamud saying that a CS was trying to challenge the decision of this House using a ruling of the National Assembly, I wonder if it is a curse. I wonder whether the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Muturi, made such a ruling knowing that Article 153 (3) mandates CSs to appear before Committees of both Houses."}