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{
    "id": 1202740,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1202740/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 161,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "On many occasions, for example, in social gatherings, members of your family or friends ask you questions about the things that bother them and look at you as a leader. In most cases, they will not be so much bothered about which side of the political divide you come from. They look up to you to provide direction and leadership. The excuse that you are not in Government or it is the Executive and not the legislature that is supposed to do this or that rarely holds in such discussions. Many times, they will demand that because we have been granted the opportunity by the people of Kenya, our constituents who gave us the chance and the platform to be in this House, to represent them, legislate and oversight the Executive and ensure that we leave a country that is better than we found it when we first came to this House. It was on that account that the President, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto came before a Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament and laid his initial agenda of what he intends to do for the country and what he considers to be important for us as Legislature. Remember, in a democracy such as ours, even a popularly elected President, without the support of a Legislature, will find themselves in a very difficult place. The President is less likely to deliver unless he has the thumb of approval from the Legislature. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the Judiciary, unless somebody files a petition or complain about things that the Executive is doing, they are innocent by standers to what the Executive is doing. However, as parliamentarians have the singular honour of interrogating every business that the Executive busies themselves with. From the day that we joined this House, up to the last day. Many colleagues are yet to realise that when proper work begins and you find Statements being laid before this House with request for exposure or even members of the public raising issues via petitions, all of us in this House will speak with one voice. We will demand from the Executive that they do that which they promised. The fact that we sit to the left or right of the House is a small matter. We know very well that what ranks at top of the work of a Legislature is to represent your people and ensure that any time there are challenges, and there will be many challenges across as we move on this leadership journey, we demand the best from our people. Therefore, the President laid a speech. I will give a few highlights of the things that struck me out of his presentation before the joint sitting of the Houses and raise my thoughts on the same. I expect my colleagues to also take time to read, understand what the President was saying and speak about it because we are duty bound and we have it in our Standing Orders. The last Motion that we just passed gives each Senator at least 15 minutes to give a reaction to whatever was said. Whether you agree or disagree with him, the same is contained in this Speech. I have seen hard copies of the same being circulated and soft copies are in the tablets that are before each and every Member of this House. This is very important."
}