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{
    "id": 1224491,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1224491/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 287,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kisang",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2263,
        "legal_name": "William Kipkemoi Kisang",
        "slug": "william-kipkemoi-kisang"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to support the Motion to amend the Standing Orders. It is good to inform Members who might not know that for the last 10 years, under the Kenya Constitution, 2010, Parliament both the National Assembly and Senate have been frustrated by the Executive especially the CSs. When invited to come to Parliament, some of them give standard or flimsy reasons to say they are busy and are on official trips. This is an opportunity to amend the Standing Orders so that the CSs can come to the House on Wednesday morning as has been suggested. This is so that, we can put them to task, get to ask them supplementary questions and they answer. I remember in 2013 there was an issue in the National Assembly. The House did not know what to do with the CS for National Treasury. This was because then the CS Treasury was expected to come to the House and read the Budget in the course of the month of June. That time, I think the Standing Orders had to be amended to allow the CS for National Treasury to come and present the estimates to the House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is not the first time that we have attempted to call the CSs to the House. This is a noble exercise that we need to pass so that from the 11th of April, 2023, they come and answer questions and the issues we have on Statements. For instance, when you ask for a Statement, they have a standard way of giving answers and there is no one that you can ask for additional supplementary answers because they are not here. I believe and we beseech our Members from the Minority side to accept and agree to support these amendments so that we can serve our people well. The county governments now are frustrated. They have not received Exchequer releases for last three and half months. They cannot pay salaries. Who are we going to ask if the CS cannot come here and we put him to task as to why they have not released the Exchequer for the last three months? People have gone for three months without salaries. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the last one is on your Communication if you get a letter from either the Minority or Majority Leadership. You know, for the last three and half weeks or so, the House has been having issues because there was no limit on when to communicate. This is a good move. Our colleagues should appreciate because if this amendment was already in place, it means the leadership on the Minority Side would already have had their own Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip, three weeks or so ago. We would have passed these amendments by that time. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I support the amendments. I request our colleagues, please, let us rise above party issues and go out there to serve our people. Lastly, we are talking about the cost of living. Our people are suffering because the cost of power is high. The right place to articulate the issues to reduce the cost of"
}