Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1211697,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1211697/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 116,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "That is why the President has been very fair to us, as a House. He has not sought to introduce or re-introduce BBI in any other form or even to coerce leaders to support any proposal that he has. He is not seeking to initiate constitutional amendments. He seeks to initiate this general debate for us to enable Kenyans to have that public discourse, so that at the end of the day, we have provisions in the Constitution and how we can amend it. One of the ways is the parliamentary process in this House. We cannot run away from that responsibility. We have a duty, responsibility, or mandate bestowed on us in the Constitution. Under the Constitution, we have powers to amend any section of the Constitution except those that will call for a referendum. There are issues that His Excellency the President has sought that we debate as a House and we make a decision on what we think is the best. In my view, this general debate will inform Kenyans on what we, as a House, seek to do in terms of amending our Standing Orders or Constitution. We will also invite Kenyans to participate. Public participation is not only when we go out there to seek their views. The relevant committees will eventually do that. There are Members who are seated here who are receiving texts and WhatsApp messages from their constituents. We will have to think about what is the best for this country. One of the things is the creation of the Office of the Leader of Official Opposition. I know and I am aware that there are those Kenyans who imagine that it is another way of appeasing a particular person or leader. Let me state for the record that this provision or proposal is not to create a position either for the former Prime Minister, Hon. Raila Odinga, Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka, Hon. Martha Karua, Hon. Nyikal or Hon. John Mbadi. This is a position that we seek to create for posterity. We did pass a constitution in 2010 that created the position of an Executive President and a Deputy President. The runners-up in any election are left out there. Although they are not left in the cold because they have a role to play, we want to institutionalise the Office of 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."
}