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{
    "id": 1214722,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1214722/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 141,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ugunja, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Opiyo Wandayi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Let me continue and obviously ignore him. If that were the case, then why are we amending the Standing Orders? If it was clear that you can summon them – and we are summoning them even currently under the Standing Orders – this is not summoning! This is something else. Hon. Temporary Speaker, on a matter such as this, you need to be very sober-minded. If you go through this route thinking this is a directive from whatever party, you will come to regret. Under the current constitutional arrangement, there is no room for a CS to come to the House. If you want to create that room, amend the Constitution. For you to amend it, you must go back to Article 255, because it goes to the core; it touches on the functions of Parliament. We have no leeway to pass it through this House, even if you have the two-thirds majority. You must go back to the people. That is the plain truth. My position as a Member of Parliament for Ugunja Constituency, my party, the Orange Democratic Movement and the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party and most Kenyans, I believe, is that this route is dangerous, and we must shun it. I call upon those like- minded Members to join me in rejecting these proposals for the good of posterity. If you want CSs to be in this House, let us amend the Constitution and let them be appointed from amongst you, Members of Parliament (MPs). I will be happy even if I am in the back-bench to be engaging with CSs in the House as my colleagues. But to meander, go round and gerrymander is a no, and we are not part of that. We refuse that invitation. We refuse it totally! Therefore, I want to caution the relevant House Committee dealing with those amendments that those proposed amendments to Standing Orders are dead on arrival. If they come here, we should mobilise ourselves and reject them in total because they are unconstitutional ab initio . No amount of patchwork can cure that mischief. This House should be left alone to run its affairs. We do not want any interference from whatever quarters. Let this House run its affairs and maintain its independence. We may differ politically out there – which we should anyway – but when we come here, let us safeguard the credibility, integrity and independence of this House and protect our Constitution. We have said time and again that, indeed, there are faults because a constitution cannot be perfect. Even the American Constitution was amended; and, in fact, it was made much earlier than ours. I am sure Hon. Baya can recall the first amendment of the American Constitution because we happened to have had some sojourn in that land. I do not recall what we were doing there."
}