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{
    "id": 1252286,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1252286/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 282,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the ruling that you gave this afternoon on the conduct of Senators once we begin this important exercise is extremely important. I wish colleague Senators can take time to listen to you and understand the things that you have said. I do not expect my good friend, Sen. M. Kajwang’ or Sen. Oketch Gicheru, to make any comments on this particular matter while going about their duties in the village this weekend. You will be found to have fallen foul of the provisions of the Standing Order because this is an extremely delicate matter. I hope our colleagues will quickly serve justice to the people of Siaya. When I spoke yesterday, I said that this Committee cannot be simplistic to Siaya County alone. I hope they will say something about the relationship between governors and their deputies across all the 47 counties. It was not the desire of the drafters of our Constitution for deputy governors to just take tea, read newspapers and go back home. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you, I and all these Senators before us live in Kenya. Unfortunately, that is the obtaining situation in most of our counties. We must be able to hear and listen to what this deputy governor is accused of, extrapolate it and guide this House into making a decision. I know when this Committee eventually presents a report before this House, they will say something specific to the case that is before it. That is how we normally do our Committee reports. Then, they will also guide the House on how to prevent certain things from happening in the future. I have served in an impeachment committee before. One of the things the parties present before the Committee begins its work are all the reports of what the previous committees that have handled impeachment proceedings have done. Take time and read the final recommendations that each of those Committees normally produce before this House. They guide us on various issues; legislative interventions that we need to make and policy directions that we need to speak about as a Senate. I believe time has come for us, as a Senate, to give directions on this issue of disputes between Governors and their deputies. I have this similar problem in my own County of Kericho. I had this challenge obtaining. There was a spat between the governor and his deputy on Madaraka Day. I have seen so many other counties in such similar situations. We cannot afford to just fold our hands and believe that it does not concern us. It concerns us, as the Senate, because we are custodians and protectors of the organs and principles of devolution in this country. We need to understand how best we can guide. Unfortunately, you cannot legislate good order or collegiality between a governor and his deputy. However, we can give policy directions on what is expected. If as a governor, you enter into a political marriage, how then do you sustain it for the rest of your term? Political deception is not something to be encouraged in this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you know the extremely difficult situation we found ourselves as a country last term, when the President and his Deputy fell out. In fact, I keep on telling people that the good gentleman, the Hon. Rigathi Gachagua is a man of great faith. It takes a man of courage to accept to be anyone’s deputy after what had been done to the then Deputy President and now President William Ruto because of this kind of behaviour."
}