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{
"id": 1257611,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1257611/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
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"content": "Petitions procedures, however, has timelines set under the Petition to Parliament Procedures Act and our own Standing Orders. Twelve Petitions are now due for reporting. It means that the 60-day calendar period allowed for consideration has been exhausted. Specifically, four Petitions by the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and Housing, one before the Standing Committee on Agriculture, one Petition by the Standing Committee on Education, three Petitions before the Standing Committee on Justice Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee and one Petition by Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources. I have not seen Sen. Thang’wa and Sen (Dr.) Murango. However, I have seen Sen. Joe Nyutu, Sen. Wakili Sigei and Sen. Methu in the House this afternoon. The Chairpersons must remember that our statutory timelines are public. Therefore, citizens expect that if their Petitions are read in the Senate on such a day, then they should be receiving the answers to their Prayers 60 calendar days down the line. I urge the Chairpersons of these Committees to quickly expedite and conclude on that business in the next seven day so that we do not find ourselves in an embarrassing situation, where citizens will begin losing faith because we do not respect our own timelines. I request the Liaison Committee to as well take measures to ensure that these Petitions are concluded on within the period. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as it is expected at the start of a new procedure, there have been challenges in the processing of Questions. To address this challenge, the SBC has pronounced itself in a bid to ensure that the processing of Questions is undertaken in a seamless manner. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you communicated the resolution of the SBC to vary the criteria of scheduling Questions, in a Communication issued on Tuesday, 20th June, 2023. Therefore, effective Tuesday, 28th June, 2023, the Committee will prioritize and schedule all Questions addressed to relevant Cabinet Secretaries. This means that in the coming weeks, only one or two Cabinet Secretaries will appear before the Senate at a sitting to responds to all the Questions that have been addressed to that Ministry. The Committee will however observe the principal that not more than three Cabinet Secretaries will appear before the Senate in the event that it will no longer be feasible to have one Cabinet Secretary to appear. This depends on the number of Questions that are being filed by colleague Senators. Additionally, the Committee recommends the use of Standing Order No. 51C (2), whenever a Senator is absent during a sitting when their Question is scheduled in the Order Paper. In view of the aforementioned resolutions of the SBC, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Hon. Ezekiel Machogu, will appear before the Senate on Wednesday, 28th June, 2023 to respond to the following Questions: Question No. 21 by Sen. Mbugua; Question No. 27 by Sen. Korir; Question No. 34 by Sen. Tobiko; Question No. 35 by Sen. Mariam Omar and Question Nos. 37, 38, 39 and 40 by Sen. Cherarkey. On 27th June, 2023, the SBC will convene to consider and approve the business for the coming week."
}