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{
    "id": 134374,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/134374/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 231,
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    "content": "transpired. The Minister was not present and no explanation was given as to why he was not present. The Question has appeared on the Order Paper four times. On each occasion, the Question has gone unanswered either because the Minister responsible was absent from the House or when present, was inadequately prepared to answer it. Hon. Members, you will agree that this state of affairs is unacceptable and ought to be brought to an end. Hon. Members, the Executive has an obligation to account to the people of Kenya through their Members of Parliament who represent the people of Kenya in this House. Erskine May in his book Parliamentary Practice states as follows:- “Ministers have a duty to Parliament to account and be held to account for the policies, decisions and actions of their departments. Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament; refusing to provide information only when such disclosure will not be in the public interest”. This imposes an obligation on Ministers to be available in the House at all times to answer Questions, provide Ministerial Statements and respond to Motions and provide such other information falling within their respective mandates as they may be called upon by the House to provide. Hon. Members, Ministers of Government, as representatives of the Executive are charged with the responsibility of transacting business of the Executive in this House. This is their cardinal duty and should not be viewed as an act of charity to the House. The business of the House must, therefore, take precedence in the priority of engagements by Ministers. It cannot be subordinated to attendance of such functions as agricultural shows or foreign trips, unless on House Business or commissioning of development projects even though these are important functions. Hon. Members, Questions, Ministerial Statements and Motions before the House constitute devices by which, under our democracy, Parliament holds the Executive to account. These devices are designed to promote good governance and uphold the doctrine of separation of powers. They serve as the necessary checks and balances between the various arms of Government. In addition, these devices foster a mutually beneficial relationship between the various arms of Government. They help the Executive to become aware of or to forestall situations of crisis that could arise. For example, on such varied subjects as cholera epidemic, a looming famine, a national, food security crisis, an energy crisis and others. This House blows the whistle in order to draw the attention of the Executive to the existence of a particular situation which requires appropriate action or a remedial action. If a given Minister is absent from the House when an issue touching on his Ministry is being canvassed, he loses the benefit of listening to the views expressed in the House on that particular issue and by extension the Executive loses an opportunity to deal with the issue as articulated in the House. If hon. Members were to consult the official records of proceedings of this House as recorded in the HANSARD during the life of the present Parliament, it would become quite apparent that some of the crisis that now afflict our country were at one point or another the subject of a Question or a request for a Ministerial Statement. It is arguable that these events could have been forestalled, if the relevant Ministers had timeously attended to the concerns raised by this House."
}