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{
    "id": 1211247,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1211247/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Omboko Milemba",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13328,
        "legal_name": "Jeremiah Omboko Milemba",
        "slug": "jeremiah-omboko-milemba"
    },
    "content": "the bullet and make sure that Parliament operates with the requisite numbers as per the two-thirds gender rule. I want to speak on the issue of Cabinet Secretaries coming to the House. We cannot at one time be crying babies and another fear to confront issues. I wish I had come much earlier but I am speaking now. In the 12th Parliament, every Member of Parliament would petition the then Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. J.B. Muturi, that a certain chairperson of a committee is not in the House, or cannot answer a question properly, or that they need to be asked to expound on a Statement and so on. This is a chairperson who was sent and you cannot hit him with a stone. Hey! You parliamentarians! What is this we are fearing to execute? So, everybody wanted the Cabinet Secretaries to come to this House so that they are grilled and answer questions. Leave alone the desperate situations we have had with Cabinet Secretaries like the one in charge of the National Treasury who refuses to send NG-CDF money to the constituencies. I would wish to sermon him here only that we do not get a chance to do so. In desperation, we wanted to sermon them in kamukunjis . I am just taking you down the memory lane. We are now being given an opportunity to sermon these people in a formal sitting not a kamukunji. Again, we are fearing to bring them in the House to grill them. We are now wondering where they will seat and whether they will take the powers of the chairpersons of committees. I think we must confront this matter and locate a place where they will sit. Their presence should not interfere with the general operation of the House and they should not take over powers. Maybe they can appear in the lobby and use microphones to answer questions. I want to propose they be brought starting with the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury. He needs to tell Members why he has failed to disburse to constituencies what was promised to be disbursed weekly. So, for me we need to bite that bullet and bring these people here. We should locate where they can sit and be put to task to answer questions. Again, it does not mean they will always come here. Parliament still enjoys its independence and timetable of knowing when to call them or not. In some cases where it is obvious, the chairpersons of committees will possibly bring a written Statement or answer as is the case presently. Finally, on the issue of the Office of the Leader of Opposition, just like one Member said, it is a ping pong. A month ago, I had the opportunity of visiting the United States of America (USA). We were taught very passionately how the Congress operates. We were given a case study of what happens each time a Government is formed whether by the party currently in power, the Democrats, or the party that is not in power, the Republicans. People tend to change laws depending on where they are. Hon. Temporary Speaker, at one time I was there with you and the party in power wanted to reduce the threshold of the Senate to 60 Members so they pass more laws. When they lose power, they also change their position and pretend that is not affecting them. I think…"
}