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{
    "id": 1153498,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1153498/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 217,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I may give a comparison. I will start with our neighbours in Uganda. The Speaker of Uganda is an elected Member of Parliament (MP), and continues to serve as a Member of the constituency to which they were elected, even as they continue to serve as Speakers. Two, the Speaker of Tanzania is an elected MP representing a constituency, and continues to serve. In fact, it is an altruism that in Tanzania, they almost invariably come from the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). They continue to serve as Members of the constituencies in which they were elected, notwithstanding that those countries are multiparty democratic states. In the United Kingdom (UK), the Speakers are elected MPs representing constituencies. But they continue to serve those constituencies even as they continue to preside over the Houses of Parliament. Now that we adopted the presidential system, in the United States of America, the Speaker is an MP of the House of Representatives. If I may jog your memory, during the time of President Bill Clinton, the Speaker was none other than Newt Gingrich, and if you care to read, you know the relationship between President Bill Clinton and Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was a Republican while Bill Clinton was a Democrat. During the time of President Obama, there was Speaker John Dennis Hastert, a Republican. There was also Speaker Paul Ryan, who was a Republican. Many of you will recall the issues that happened when President Obama brought the Affordable Health Care Bill before the Congress. Do I need to remind you? Just the other day, President Trump, a Republican, was serving when Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, was the Speaker. I am sure you all know this. At least that does not happen in Kenya. The relationships that we have seen with all these figures have not happened here in Kenya. As a country, we should feel proud that we do not exhibit that level of partisanship that we have seen in developed democracies like the United States of America. On whether I have joined a political formation; on 31st August 2017, I offered myself to run for the Speaker of the National Assembly under the sponsorship of the Jubilee Party. You, Hon. Members, are the ones who gave me the mandate. I did not hear you say that I needed to disclose the relationship I had with the leadership of the Jubilee Party, whether personal, official or political. 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."
}