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{
    "id": 1174853,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1174853/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 188,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wako",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 366,
        "legal_name": "Amos Sitswila Wako",
        "slug": "amos-wako"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for that consideration. Let me slow down now. I was going fast because of the five minutes. Mr. Speaker, Sir, because of the challenge to the Senate, we went to the Supreme Court and got that Advisory Opinion. Although that Opinion restored and improved our legislative mandate, it has not quite caught ground because all the time, there have been obstacles, particularly from the National Assembly. That is going to remain a challenge. Under my watch, the 11th Parliament appointed a Committee to look into constitutional amendments, which would restore the Senate to the proper role it ought to be and which is not in the current Constitution, because of the negotiations that went on prior to it. That Committee came up with very outgoing proposals on how the role of the Senate can be restored. It restored all the amendments in the effect of restoring all the legislative powers of the Senate, so that there were no longer arguments between the two Speakers, as to whether a Bill concerns counties and so on. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the amendments also concerned issues such as the approval of officers. In fact, we said that all appointments to constitutional offices and commissions should be by the Senate. The amendments also proposed either a separate Service Commission for the Senate or alternatively, we have equal representation in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). If possible, the Speaker of the Senate should also co-chair the PSC. Tribute has been paid by Sen. Sakaja to the late Sen. Haji. We all support that tribute. Since I was in the BBI Committee, I would like to repeat here, that the Task Force actually recommended all the amendments that had been proposed by the Senate Committee, to strengthen the place of the Senate in the Constitution. We recommended that, and it is there on record that our contribution was barely advisory. It was not binding on the principles but there are things that were done in a manner in which the result was that we more or less remained where we were. I can assure you that what would defend my record there and that of Sen. Haji was that we had succeeded at that level to ensure that all amendments that had been recommended by the Senate Committee on strengthening the role of the Senate and its place under the Constitution were done."
}