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{
    "id": 1376520,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1376520/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 405,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": " The two gentlemen earlier on had informed us the kind of things they do in public washrooms. When you see them excited together, I am tempted to think other things. Madam Temporary Speaker, the point I was making is that when a Bill is proposed before the Parliament, I see a lazy argument being peddled on the Floor of the Senate many times when colleagues say that they oppose a certain Bill because it rolls back the gains of devolution. I wonder what their job is. Under Article 95 of the Constitution, no other body has the power to make statute which has the force of law other than Parliament, where we sit. I wish to encourage colleagues that any time you see any Bill and you feel that a particular clause is offensive, because many times, hardly do you find that somebody is opposed to a Bill in its entirety. It is usually a particular clause or line within the Bill that they feel should have been framed differently. I therefore urge colleagues that when you disagree with certain provisions, the best thing to do immediately after you have made your arguments on the Floor, is to file an amendment. Perhaps when you read it way in advance during the stakeholder engagement with our Committees, go and convince the Committee so that it comes together with the amendments that come with our various committees, because that is our duty. That is what we are paid for. We are paid to legislate. There is no other legislature in this Republic other than this House. The way we shall protect devolution is not by rejecting Bills and saying you do not agree with this because of this or the other. I wish to encourage colleague Senators that every time there are such Bills that speak to importance, first of all, appreciate the concept. We have said the concept is very noble that we want to make it possible for every citizen of this country to access water. The challenge is that, realistically speaking, in the fiscal space Kenya is in, it is not possible for the Government to provide the resources needed to roll out water to every Kenyan. Therefore, the proposition in the Bill is to partner with the private sector and agree with them because this is not a standalone law. It is read alongside the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) law that we have already passed. On any matter that involves the public in a big way such as water, the Government still retains the final decision on issues of cost because it is of a great concern to the people. Madam Temporary Speaker, as I reply, all the colleagues who spoke and said that they disagree with this Bill because of a number of provisions, I hope that I will see them filing amendments so that they align it with devolution the way they are proposing. I am glad that speaking to the Chairperson of the Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources, he said that many of the concerns which Senators had have been carried on board in the amendments that they have proposed to this Bill. With those many remarks, I beg to reply and thank all our colleagues who have contributed to this Bill."
}