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{
    "id": 1232247,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1232247/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 132,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, my point of order was whether it was appropriate for Sen. Cheptumo, who is a very distinguished Member of Parliament, to attempt to put Sen. Mumma in a box on what she can bring and what she cannot bring because he cannot anticipate what Sen. Mumma is going to bring. She might as well bring the title deed for the land in Zambia owned by the Government of Kenya. It is not in his place to direct Sen. Mumma on how to respond. The bigger issue is that when you are a Member of Parliament, you enjoy certain privileges that not many other Kenyans enjoy. In this House, the freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed. Mr. Deputy Speaker, in as much as we want to talk about the accuracy of facts, these House is quasi-judicial. You cannot apply the evidence Act in its entirety when it comes to this House. Judicial institutions take judicial notice. We can never be in a situation where we are saying this House can never take judicial notice of what is going on in the country, and that when someone brings the attention of the chair to things going on in the country, you are told to produce tangible and hard evidence. I encourage us not be too pedantic about the application of Standing Order No.105 because people will fear speaking here. If I rose and said, my name is Otieno, someone will tell me to prove and to provide my birth certificate. That kills and stifles debate. I want to urge the House across the aisle that let us not use Standing Order 105 to stop people from processing their minds and let us not be pedantic about it. Let us allow Senators to exercise a freedom of expression and let us refrain from trying to defend the Executive at all times. We are all members of the Senate and, as we said yesterday, none of us here is a Cabinet Secretary, President or Prime Minister. We are all Senators. If we want the Government and the Executive to explain something, let us call them here and let them, be the ones to explain."
}