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{
    "id": 1219956,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1219956/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 307,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Soy, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Kiplagat",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I think it is a good idea to allow Cabinet Secretaries to sit in this House to personally answer Questions from Members. First, it will energise the House. In fact, I think the attendance will be felt. Everyone will want their Questions answered by the person who is supposed to answer it. The current scenario is that Chairpersons of Committees take Questions to Cabinet Secretaries and then answers are transmitted to this House through the Chairpersons. Something can happen in between. Members of the Committee, who are just Members of this House, have minimal interaction with Cabinet Secretaries. Only Chairpersons interact with the Cabinet Secretaries. For purposes of accountability and transparency, and in order for Members to be felt, it is important that we allow Cabinet Secretaries to come to this House just by amending the Standing Orders. I do not think we need to look at the Constitution for that to happen. Even without amending the Standing Orders, I believe we can as well convert this House into a Committee of the whole House so that Cabinet Secretaries can attend and answer Members’ Questions. That one is a bit easier. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I have a different view on the issue of representation of women in Parliament. I will give my personal thoughts, and not the thoughts of the party I belong to. I believe in letting Kenyan voters choose their leaders without bias on gender or other discrimination. We know very well that the wage bill is currently very big. It is bad to add more Members to this House in order to comply with the one-third gender rule. I know that it is a constitutional requirement. Even though the Constitution requires that we should not have more than two-thirds representation from one gender, it is important that we look at the overall representation in this House. Elected Members represent people. I do not believe that adding more women to meet the gender parity requirement will add any value to this House. Even when it comes to sharing out of seats that may be reserved for women in order to meet the gender balance threshold, I do not think there will be equity or whether the Wanjiku out there will be nominated to come to this House. It is only women who know their way within Nairobi, and those who can pull strings within the powers that be, who will be nominated to this House. For that reason, I have a different view. I hold the view that people should decide on who their leaders should be. I know that my party leader, who is the President, has another view. In my case, as the representative of the people of Soy, we hold the view that everybody should campaign and get elected. Whether you are a man or a woman, you have equal opportunity to be elected by the people."
}