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{
    "id": 1200578,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1200578/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 330,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Under Article 102(1) and (2) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Parliament is allowed to sit even in times of war. Even if there is an emergency or an invasion, Parliament is allowed to sit. It is a serious issue and the fact that the issue of the Calendar has been captured and extrapolated through a Standing Order from Article 102 is very important. Many people imagine that work is only done at the Plenary. They do not know that there is a lot of work that is done at Committee level. The House will be on recess, and only Plenary sittings will be suspended. Either Senators will be on their visit to counties or benchmarking either within the counties or having Committees writing reports. Kenyans should be made to know that when Plenary is not in session, we are busy in Committees, doing bench marking or writing reports so that we get these things crystal clear. I am also told that the National Assembly is going on recess. When they do not see us in Plenary or live on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) or any other channel, they imagine that we are not doing anything. There is a lot of work to be done Thirdly, I see into the future where Senators will not only be judged when they are speaking on the Floor of the House. Those people who do ranking and what have you should even look at the individual Member’s contribution at the Committee level and Plenary sessions, so that we give a true score card. There are Members that are good in report writing, others very active in Committee work. There are others who are good in sports but I hope they are sports that are done at day time. I hope there are no sports done during the night. I have heard Sen. Mungatana speak about when Senate has come together as a House of union and agreed on many issues. On the hindsight, we have agreed but we should not be vilified for standing with counties that were gaining. I do not want to reopen that debate but it benefited everybody. I emphasize that when it comes to our role under Article 96 and Article 95, on the role of the National Assembly, it is very important that every Senator has a role to play as envisaged by the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya. For the new Members, my colleagues who just joined, this Senate has undergone serious attacks, especially from the House where Sen. Osotsi, Sen. Onyonka, Sen. Cheptumo and yourself used to sit. The attack on this House has been immense. It is because our flesh and spirit has not been weak. I can tell you Senators, if were not straightforward, if we did not defend our territory, the Senate would not have had any business. The contention has been under Article 103, especially on the Money Bills, where the National Assembly has continued to thrash any proposal they imagine is a Money Bill. Most of the Bills that have been generated in the Senate have had their grave yard in the National Assembly. They have always guillotined our business. I thank the Supreme Court and laud one former Senator and Senior Counsel, the current governor of Siaya, Sen. James Orengo. He has gone on record and welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court that this Senate has residual powers to do both primary"
}