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{
    "id": 1211732,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1211732/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 151,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Murugara",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "in Parliament? That is dishonourable. From now henceforth, we should consider according that office the respect it deserves so that the occupier, who is going to be anyone ranging from the Members of Parliament who are here and others who will be elected in the future, can actually sit in that office, be consulted on all matters that may come into deliberations in this House and in this country. Two of the matters are committed to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs and I confirm we will move expeditiously to determine them so that this Committee has a solution. I know for sure we have to do public participation, we have to go round the country as Members of Parliament and that Committee obtaining views from Kenyans and hear what we are dealing with as proposals. Kenyans can actually reject these proposals in toto . If that happens, it will be for the good of the country; it is the will of the people. If Kenyans agree that Parliament should consider, then we will move to the next level to determine whether these are parliamentary initiative amendments or they are a popular initiative which means we have to go to a referendum and we would require a referendum law to actually guide us. We do not have one at the moment, but we should be looking into having an Act of Parliament on referendum because we have said it before in the 12th Parliament, that we do not know how to operate or how to actualise a referendum without law. The Supreme Court has also pointed out to us regarding this. Finally, we have the other recommendation made by the President, which is that Cabinet Secretaries come to the House to answer questions. Again, there are jitters and anxiety that we are bringing strangers into the House, that we are also contravening the law and that this is not a parliamentary system where Cabinet Secretaries are Members of Parliament and can sit in the House and deal with matters relating to the Executive. Our position, as I said, is that it is marrying the two because when we brought the 2010 Constitution, we allowed two strangers expressly to come into the House, address the House and whatever they propose is acted on by the House. The first stranger who comes in is His Excellency the President. He actually has that mandate from the Constitution. He comes over here to make the State of the Nation Address and we debate that Address thereafter and we actualise some of the views he gives to us in form of laws, regulations and motions. The second person who comes over here is the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Finance. Again this is given by the Constitution. He comes over here and gives us the Budget Estimates after Parliament has looked at them as we are doing now. Right from the Supplementary Budget to the Budget Policy Statement which has just been tabled and eventually the Parliamentary Estimates. This has been provided for by the Constitution. Nothing stops us, as a House with our handmaidens and the Standing Orders, as I heard Hon. James Nyikal saying. Standing Orders are handmaidens of this House. They are not cast in stone. That is why at all times, we have what is called the saving provision of the Standing Orders, which gives the Speaker the power to rule on anything that is not provided for, that is Standing Order No.1. But in this particular case, we have Standing Orders which we can amend and after the amendment for sure what is going to happen is we are able to allow Cabinet Secretaries to come here and answer questions. We are able to interrogate them and we are also able to ensure they do not get away with escapist answers, which is what we get from Chairpersons of Committees when they read Statements and answers to Questions which they know nothing about. So, this is a very important Motion and I would urge the House that we debate it soberly. They are proposals and they are not cast in stone. The decision lies with the House and Kenyans. With those remarks, I support the Motion."
}