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{
    "id": 1227132,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1227132/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 284,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I think you did not get my opening statement. This Motion attempts to change some of the provisions of Standing Order No.34, which are already good. I do not think that this House needs to add meeting hours to such days as Wednesday. If there is a very serious issue that needs to be considered with an extra hour or sittings, our Standing Orders already provides for that. Standing Order No. 34 is well laid out to the extent that the fears that the Senate Majority Leader brings through this Motion are already taken care off by this Standing Order. We have seen this even in instances where we have got Adjournment Motions or any other Motion. Using this Standing Order, you can extend the time of a sitting or you can seek for a different sitting. This is already good and there is no need of interfering with it. The purpose for this is because the functionality of any House of Parliament is best done in Committees. In the design of Committees, examination and interrogation of issues is well catered for. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of the Committees that we have in this House are doing a better oversight and any other role. Today, my sister, Sen. Tabitha Mutinda who is the Vice Chair of the Committee on Finance and Budget, spent almost four hours dealing with matters of the Equalization Fund. This is a serious Fund under Article 204 of the Constitution and it has not gone to the counties. At the same time, Sen. Tabitha Mutinda and I are also Members of the County Public Investments Committee (CPIC). At CPIC today, we examined important issues on the investment of the water company in Kisii County. The Governor of Kisii County travelled all the way from Kisii and came to the Committee hearing. However, we could not get enough time to serve in both Committees. If we attempt to take time out of Committees and put it on this plenary, we will be losing the functionality of this House. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is one of those issues that I urge fellow Senators to not just follow the sides of the House; that, this is a Majority or a Minority issue. This is one of the issues that Sen. M. Kajwang’ said is a procedural issue. From the time we have spent in this House, procedural issues become experiential issues. When we are making determination of this particular Motion, let us make it based on the experiences we have had because that experience speaks to what Senators see in order to get an effective and efficient formulae that will contribute to our function in this House. I do not support this. I hope we do not support this Motion so that we do not take time out of Committees. In as much as we have important Motions that we care about like Sen. Orwoba or any other Senator who is not getting attention, let us explore Standing Order No. 34(4) (5) and (6). This will enable us seek for a sitting that will allow that particular Motion to be dealt with. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this will make this House more effective. With that, I oppose this Motion and encourage my fellow Senators to be experiential in making this particular determination while supporting or not supporting this Motion."
}