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{
    "id": 1374049,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1374049/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 130,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13219,
        "legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
        "slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, advanced democracies like Australia have done eight amendments to their Constitution, but what we need to learn as Senators is that in those eight amendments, seven of them were through a bipartisan approach, like what we are doing here. A bipartisan approach is the best way to amend the Constitution. So, Kenyans should not bash us, the political class, that we are on a mission to water down the Constitution of Kenya 2010. This attempt is to strengthen and fix what is not working in the Constitution. We have borrowed from many jurisdictions in accepting some of the proposals that have been carried in this Constitution. Sen. Cheruiyot has made reference to the tenure of this House and we have looked at many bicameral jurisdictions, including the USA on the term of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the USA, the House of Representatives are elected every two years and Senators get elected after every six years. In Australia, their House of Representatives get elected every four years and Senators, every six years. The same thing with Philippines. Mr. Speaker, Sir, these proposals were brought to the Committee by Kenyans who took cognizance of the fact that the Senate exists to protect devolution. Therefore, the proposal that is in this Constitution proposing an enhanced term of the Senate is borrowed from best international practices. We looked at the best constitutions in the world and from jurisdictions that practice democracy and that have had Senators having a longer time for a number of years. On the cost of living, which is a matter that closely touches on the interests of Kenyans - the people we represent - we had to have a give-and-take approach. Initially, the position that was taken by the Minority Side at the NADCO discussions proposed a total overhaul of the tax regime; do away with the VAT on fuel from 16 percent down to eight percent and scrap totally the housing levy. However, we arrived at a compromise at the end of the day. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you read the Report, since we acknowledge that Kenyans are facing a massive burden on taxation, there is a proposal that the National Treasury should have a comprehensive review on the tax policies so that we reduce the tax burden on Kenyans. There is a minimal proposal that we reduce the Roads Maintenance Levy by Kshs5 so that we can make fuel more affordable to Kenyans. We also reduced the Adulteration Tax on fuel by Kshs3. However, what is contained in the Report is a recommendation and an undertaking by the Kenya Kwanza Government that from February this year, there will be a comprehensive review of the tax regime so that the tax burden on Kenyans can be reduced. The other matter that is very critical to the people we represent is the cash transfer for the older persons. As you know, currently, older persons or people with disability get a paltry Kshs2,000 from the Government as support. This Committee however has recommended that the cash transfer for older persons be enhanced upwards. Initially, we had arrived at a figure of Kshs5,000 but we agreed to send this proposal to the National Treasury for them to review it upwards. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the people who have been hit by the cost of living are the older people and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in our constituencies like Nandi where Sen."
}