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{
    "id": 1224494,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1224494/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 290,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
    "speaker_title": "The Speaker",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you. I can see we still have about eight Members wishing to contribute but I wish to give some guidance. I have sat here quietly listening to your contributions. Anyone listening may think that this is a Government sponsored Motion. We are debating a Report from a Committee of this House. A Committee that draws membership from both sides of this House; the Procedure and Rules Committee. Now, hon. Senators, if we can only use our political caucuses to advance certain positions, we would find ourselves where we are today. Listening to both sides; it clearly seems that Members of the Committee from the Minority side are distancing themselves from this Report. I have heard Sen. Mumma and the reason being that she had travelled and the notice was short. That notice was short to every Member of that Committee. Nobody was given a different notice apart from the one you were served. How I wish before it got to the Floor, some of those very good observations, wonderful and persuasive arguments that the Minority Side is making were made available to the Committee. You could have enriched the Committee in coming to a decision. Having been given an opportunity at the Committee level and letting that opportunity slide away; and then starting a debate that would have otherwise added a lot of value to all of us at the Committee level, sometimes it puts the Chair in a very difficult position. I have listed to Sen. M. Kajwang’, Sen. Sifuna and Sen. Okiya Omtatah about the role of the Chair. I never imposed myself in that Committee. My role is as given in Standing Order No.191 as the Chairperson of the Committee. If you are not comfortable with the Chair chairing any of the House committees, you know exactly what to do, using the Floor of the House. As you are aware, the Chair cannot participate in debate. That is why I was very quiet because that is how it is supposed to be. Who was supposed to sign that Report? Who signs reports from these committees? Are they not signed by the Chairperson according to our Standing Orders? Members, if we have issues with these Standing Orders, there is a way that is provided that we can sanitise these Standing Orders. It may be painful that the Speaker is the Chairperson of that Committee, but that is what the Standing Orders provide. As it is, we have to abide and may be make amendments in future. If you ask me, I would not want to chair a Committee by virtue of being the Speaker. However, since the Standing Orders are telling me to chair, I have to abide and, in this case, I did abide. The Committee stage was the opportune moment for those wonderful proposals by Sen. Sifuna, Sen. M. Kajwang”, Sen. Olekina and Sen. Okiya Omtatah. When the Committee sat to look at the Standing Orders and proposed amendments, why were this presentation never made?"
}