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{
    "id": 1200899,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1200899/?format=api",
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    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, let me take this opportunity to thank all the Members. Close to 133 Members have contributed to this debate. That is about a third of the Members who sit in this Chamber. I beg the Members who are preparing to exit not to do so because I will donate a few minutes to a few of them. I do not intend to take a lot of time. It is evident that many of the Members in this House support the policies that were espoused by His Excellency the President. Indeed, I know, Hon. Members will be supporting the legislative agenda that His Excellency the President and the Government of the Republic of Kenya will be bringing forth to this House. I am thankful to all the Members. There are many pertinent issues that have been raised by Members with regard to the President’s Speech. They include policies, stalled projects all over the country, the state of our economy, certain counties and part of our constituencies that are being ravaged by the ongoing drought and indeed even the level and state of healthcare in the country. I have also heard a number of Members in their contributions touch on the CBC education system and as Members are aware, there is already a working party that His Excellency the President set in place under the Ministry of Education to look into the CBC. The President’s Address also challenged this House to amend the Standing Orders to enable Cabinet Secretaries to come and espouse Government policies and tell this House what they are doing in Government, what policies they are pushing through and to answer Questions and respond to Statements by Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents. I think this is a very good step and those Members who served with us in the 11th and 12th Parliament remember how Chairpersons of the parliamentary committees had a difficult time trying to explain Government policies and attempted to answer Questions on behalf of the Government. Now, as the people’s representatives, you have an opportunity to question Cabinet Secretaries on their work in Government and hold them to account. That tells you the level of thinking of His Excellency the President. He wants to run an open, transparent and accountable Government. I want to challenge Members that when the time comes; as soon as we set up the committees on House procedures, they should quickly review the Standing Orders and allow Cabinet Secretaries to come and answer our Questions. That will put them to account and make sure that the Government of Kenya is delivering its mandate to the people of Kenya as was promised during the campaign. We also have an obligation as Members of Parliament. I did say in my contribution to this Speech that the agenda that His Excellency the President espoused through the policies and legislative proposals that we will bring forward are neither for Kenya Kwanza coalition nor for the President William Samoei Ruto, they are for the people of Kenya. I, therefore, beg 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."
}