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{
    "id": 1283820,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1283820/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 222,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I thank the Committee on Powers and Privileges for taking the time to listen to the various witnesses who appeared before them and producing this Report that is before the House for discussion. This Motion calls for the adoption of the Committee on the conduct of one of us, Sen. Orwoba as well as establish, if the conduct constituted a breach of parliamentary privilege. I will point out a few things with regard to our conduct as honorouble Members. We are called honourable Members because we are supposed to conduct ourselves in an honourable manner. The Senate can only be strengthened when we get to a situation where we have to question the conduct of one of us. We have witnessed instances in this House and some of us worry that this House of the Senate is retarding and is losing its honour. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the first House where my senior, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, sat had senior personalities sitting in it. We had Hon. James Orengo, Hon. Kiraitu Murungi, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale and others. The last Senate was also a distinguished House save for a few Members. We need to look back to those days so that we align our conduct with the previous two Senates. Secondly, this is a House of rules, this is a House of traditions and this is a House of norms. All this is meant to make us work in an organized manner where we respect each other. When I was a student at the university, I used to be a frequent visitor in the public gallery. That was when the multiparty system had just started. One could imagine that if those hon. Members met in the Chambers, they will fight each other or do something out of this world. However, those Members carried themselves with decorum. Imagine a House that had Hon. Kenneth Matiba, Hon. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Hon. Raila Odinga, Hon. Mwai Kibari, Retired President Daniel Moi and Hon. Paul Muite. These people had serious divergent views on matters of national importance, but when they were in the House, they would conduct themselves with decorum, follow rules and always respected each other. We are beginning to see that scenario quickly disappearing from our Houses. This is a serious concern. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I sat in the same Committee with this particular Member. She sponsored the Konza Technopolis Bill. The Committee tried its best. We gave our input although we had some reservations on a number of issues, but this Senator mistreated Members of the Committee! At some point, she came to this Floor and alleged that the Committee was trying to kill her Bill yet the same Bill was listed on the Order Paper. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was not given an opportunity to appear before the Committee on Powers and Privileges. This is because I am among the Members she accused of trying to kill the Bill. The only reason the Committee had a divergent view was that the Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy had the same Bill which was more comprehensive. We said why do we not marry the two and have one Bill so that your Bill does not appear like it is trying to compete with the Ministry Bill. That alone earned us that kind of disrespect from this Senate."
}