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{
    "id": 1144971,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1144971/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 170,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 28, this House approves the Calendar of the National Assembly (Regular Sessions) for the Sixth Session (2022) as contained in the Schedule. Hon. Speaker, Members will know that the Constitution changed the way Parliament sits. Previously, Parliament used to sit, go on breaks, get promulgated and get dissolved at the whims of the Executive. We agitated for independence. I wish Members could get off their phones. I am getting distracted. Hon. Speaker, I need your protection. The Constitution gave Parliament independence to set its own calendar and determine when it wants to go on recess or to adjourn. The only thing that the Head of State needs to do is to open Parliament. Thereafter, until the last day, which is the day of elections, Parliament operates on its own. It determines when it goes on a short or long recess, otherwise, it is assumed to be in session throughout. The Standing Orders also provide for when we meet, what time we meet and what time we break. That is settled. What we are doing today is determining when we will go on short and long recesses and when we will go on the sine die recess in preparation for elections. The Schedule is attached to the Order Paper. We have 55 sitting days between now and 8th August 2022. In keeping with practice, it is expected that Parliament will break at least 60 days to elections to give Members time to concentrate on electoral campaigns. That will be Friday, 10th June 2022. We will have two recesses. The short recess will be between 4th March and 21st March 2022. That is a two-week break for Members to go back to their constituencies and participate in the preparation for party primaries which, as IEBC told us, will take place in April. We will come back and have sittings from 22nd March to 14th April 2022 to process the budget. The budget has certain milestones which have to be met from the time we start its consideration to the time we conclude. We will then go on a long recess between 15th April and 9th May 2022. That will be the crunchy time for party primaries. We will then come back for one month to complete remaining business, after which we will break to prepare for the elections. We have a very short period with three Sitting Sessions and two Recesses which would, at least, give Members time to do that preparation. And since, I do not want a repeat of what happened last week when Members voted and then asked about the implication, they now have a chance to determine when they will go on Recess. If Members do not want to approve the Calendar for some reason, then the House will run until 8th August 2022; and you will be expected here every day. The Constitutional requirement says that a Member who misses more than eight consecutive Sittings in any Session will face some implications. If you do not take any break between now and the 8th of August 2022, and you decide to give yourself a break, there are implications. It is then important for Members to know that by the time they are voting, those breaks are meant to do 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."
}