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{
    "id": 1420580,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1420580/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 30,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a grave matter. The fact that the Cabinet Secretary called you is not sufficient. She might have called you on matters to do with Kilifi County, but not with the Senate. She has not been invited here to come and meet the Speaker. Much as you extended the courtesy of receiving her call, she needs to know that this House is terribly disappointed with her conduct. Hon. Aisha Jumwa, a long serving parliamentarian, who has been here for over 10 years, knows very well that if there is a conflict of diaries between the Executive and appearance in Parliament, the Legislature takes precedence. I know President William Ruto well. If any Cabinet Secretary tells him that they cannot make it to his meeting because they are scheduled to appear before Parliament, he can never recall that Cabinet Secretary to appear either in the Cabinet meeting or an official briefing at the expense of the representatives of the people. The behaviour by Hon. Aisha Jumwa is something that I find quite astounding. While other Cabinet Secretaries have been before this House three to five times, the Prime Cabinet Secretary and herself have never set foot in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with your guidance, I am willing to be persuaded by colleagues who you may grant opportunity to say a thing or two about the conduct of these two Cabinet Secretaries. Let us be bound by the collective reasoning of the House because it is not proper. I have seen the letter from the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary. There is an officer by the name Joseph N. Busiega. These are people who do not need to be in public offices. I am not excusing the Prime Cabinet Secretary. By the time you write a letter at 3.57 p.m. for a meeting that is supposed to happen the following morning at 9.00 a.m., are you normal? Do you know what you are doing in that public office? That should not be entertained and I cannot allow Parliament to be treated like this. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have to register our disappointment with both Cabinet Secretaries in the strongest terms possible, including the amendment we have just done to the Powers and Privileges Act. Unfortunately, the amendment is yet to become official law of the land because it still has to go through the National Assembly. If it were me, I would issue summonses to both Cabinet Secretaries. First of all, we need to establish whether they recognize that Parliament is bicameral. I am sure they have appeared before our colleagues in the National Assembly. Therefore, I do not get what the spite about the Senate is and what their motivation might be. There is nothing that Members are begging for. They are coming to respond to issues from the representatives of the people. These are Questions Kenyans are asking the Cabinet Secretary through their elected representatives in this House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to be guided by colleagues in their consideration of this matter, so that we make a decision jointly as a House on what to do. We have to make a decision on the number of times a Cabinet Secretary can skip an appearance together with the maximum number they need to exhaust for postponement. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}