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{
    "id": 1339894,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1339894/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 187,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ugunja, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Opiyo Wandayi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Hon. Temporary Speaker, on a slightly unrelated matter, I wish to bring to the attention of the House a matter I would like you to make a determination on. There is a memo or circular that is in wide circulation signed by Mr Felix K. Koskei, Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service. It is titled, “Suspension of Non- essential Travel.” Without really reading it, its upshot is that the author is giving an advisory. He is purporting to direct various persons and office holders on how to spend money that this House has appropriated, including Parliament, Auditor-General, Controller of Budget, Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Clerk of the Senate, Clerk of the National Assembly and all governors. Paragraph (v) is on governors of county governments. The author of the circular purports to direct that delegations headed by governors of county governments shall not exceed three persons, including the governor as the head of the delegation and shall remain guided by the tenets of the circular. This country is governed by not only the rule of law, but also constitutionalism. The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 is quite unambiguous. Its drafters were very clear in their intentions. Various arms of Government will remain independent. It is not in the province of somebody calling himself the Chief of Staff of the Executive to purport to direct other arms of Government on how to spend the money this House has appropriated. No person under the sun can direct this House, Judiciary or governors on how to spend money that has been appropriated. It is only this House that has the latitude of directing anyone else by way of appropriation. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I want you to direct that this circular is misguided, contemptuous, unconstitutional, improper, illegal, ridiculous and totally out of place."
}