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{
    "id": 1167356,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1167356/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 80,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Members, this is going to be a unique year. As I had said earlier on, Members come in, make a one minute or 30 seconds comment, bonga points zinaingia, then they go out. Members who have seen it fit to pay attention to today’s business, I am supposed to put the Question. There is no way any responsible leader can put the Question on the Budget Estimates when we do not have more than 50 of you here, unless at some point in the course of this sitting, the House can attain quorum. Even those Members who were there when we started have since left. It means that I may not put the Question. By not putting the Question today, it means the National Treasury cannot prepare the Appropriations Bill for the 2022/2023 Financial Year. It is good for us to keep doing these refresher courses even as we come to the tail end of the 12th Parliament. It is good for Members to know that. If the intention is that there should be no Budget, Members can indicate, so that they can stay in the village and do not bother coming here. There is no point of coming to the House to tick, press your finger and stay for two minutes and then disappear. I have sat in this House in the 8th, 9th and the 11th Parliament. This 12th Parliament is a unique one where people do not even read what is coming before the House. A lot of these information is always made available to the public by Friday evening. Therefore, I expect that every Member who cares to know that they are State officers, have a duty as Members of Parliament - if Parliament seeks to sit on Tuesday, you have Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to look at the business coming. Therefore, you will know that you will take part. Even if you know you are going to vote against a business, it is good that you are here. Now, look at the Members who are here. The Constitution has placed a quorum of 50 Members. I am conscious that quorum is important, particularly when you are making a decision. You can debate the rest because the House is a House of records, but when a decision as momentous as this one where you are being requested to approve the issuance of a sum in excess of Kshs2.1 trillion and not more than 50 members are here, I find it difficult. There is no way I can put the Question. So, Hon. Members, I have no option. Even if there will be no Budget, there is no way I am going to assume that… Nobody has raised the issue of quorum, but I can see you are not 50. You are barely thirty something. So, unless…"
}