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{
"id": 1356291,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1356291/?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",
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"content": "As you are aware, consideration of the regular business of the Senate last week was suspended owing to the consideration of the proposed removal from office, by way of impeachment, of the Governor of Meru County in plenary, on Tuesday, 7th November, 2023 and Wednesday 8th, November, 2023. It was quickly followed by Address by His Excellency the President to both Houses of Parliament in the National Assembly. Thereafter, regular sittings of the Senate resumed on Tuesday 14th November, 2023. As such, the Senate needs to complete the pending legislative business as indicated in today’s Order Paper at Order Nos.9 and 10 on the Motion of Conferment of City Status to the Municipality of Eldoret and the Second Reading of the Equalisation Fund Appropriation Bill, (Senate Bills No. 30 of 2023), needs to be concluded. The Equalisation Fund Appropriation Bill, (Senate Bills No.30 of 2023), is a critical financial instrument. Its approval will unlock the release of additional funds to counties to address inequalities arising from the previous unbalanced resource allocation. In this regard, I urge all Senators to remain in the Chamber this afternoon. The party Whips are to ensure that we have the requisite number of county delegations to achieve the divisions to be undertaken. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is the request that I am making to the Whips for both sides of the House, that we raise the requisite delegations to consider these Bills that are actually in the Third Reading. There is one by Sen. Crystal Asige on Persons Living with Disabilities (PwDs) Bill and many others that are of a critical nature, which have stayed on the Order Paper for quite some time. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is my hope that we shall dispense of this very important business. Therefore, I urge colleagues Senators to call their colleagues who are not in the House. Remind them how it felt when they appeared before their citizens seeking to be granted the opportunity to represent them in this House. We should never lose the sense of that feeling and that should send you to this House every Tuesday afternoon at 2.30 p.m., every other Wednesday at 9.30 a.m., and Thursdays at 2.30 p.m., so that you transact business. In terms of other legislative business that are pending for consideration, there are 27 Bills at the Second Reading stage, including those that have been scheduled in today’s Order Paper. I urge the respective Movers of Bills to be available in the House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I see a new trend with many of our colleagues, where after a Bill has been placed on the Order Paper and moved for Second Reading, the Movers disappear. If I may ask colleague Senators, who do you expect to support your Bill the next time you bring a proposed legislation to this House, if after the consideration of your Bill you disappear and leave the rest to battle their own? I believe we can do better as a House. With regards to Petitions, the Senate has so far received 43 petitions, which have been committed to Standing Committees pursuant to Standing Order No.238. Seventeen of these Petitions have been concluded and the reports have been tabled in this House. However, 15 of them are due for reporting by the respective Committees."
}