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{
    "id": 124584,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/124584/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 427,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Musyimi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 95,
        "legal_name": "Mutava Musyimi",
        "slug": "mutava-musyimi"
    },
    "content": "One of the things I found very difficult is that you stand here as a Backbencher, you disagree with a Minister or an Assistant Minister and then you have to go to his office to ask him to help you with a particular project in your constituency. That does not quite work. It erodes and undermines your authority as a Member of Parliament. I hope when the time comes, we shall separate the Executive from the Legislature so that the Legislature legislates and holds the Executive accountable. We should consider going outside of Parliament to get members of the Cabinet to run our Ministries. They too should be accountable to the people through the elected leaders. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if we adopt that system, I would be the first one to argue that we want a lean Cabinet. We want a small Cabinet because then we have people with Executive authority accountable to the people through the Legislature, who do nothing else. They do not carry responsibilities in the constituencies. The constituencies are a huge responsibility. I admire Ministers who are able to run Cabinet positions and still find time for their constituencies. I do not know how they do it. I am not sure that I could do it myself. I am totally full of admiration for these people. So, if we are going to help this country, let us prepare ourselves to be professional, make bold decisions and think in terms of what would help the country to move forward. If we take that view, I would be prepared to argue for a smaller Cabinet because then, the people running Executive business in Kenya will not have other responsibilities of running constituencies. If however, we end up with this mixed monster that we have today; this two headed system of Parliamentary and Presidential, I really do not see how you are going to sustain the argument for a small Cabinet. You will end up overloading people who are"
}