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{
    "id": 1422308,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1422308/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 481,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, on many occasions I have said that if the relation was to be kept as is the case right now, where Speakers of both Houses consult and agree prior to the publication of any Bill on both Houses, although it is not the ideal situation because there have been occasional squabbles that a certain Bill has not gone for concurrence from either House, but, that is what we seek from this Bill. Considering we are doing this for posterity, we decided to draft and put this in a Bill, so that we document our relations, we agree and move forward. Something controversial I might say about this Bill is that the Bill as it is, is not the position of the Senate and this I must make clear. It is upon our Members of the Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights (JLAC), including yours truly, to give perspective to this Bill. However, many times we have appeared before the judges of the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, and they have asked our advocates on many occasions if it is possible for both Houses to agree. At times we file a consent and agree on certain issues and then, midway, positions change depending on convenience and many other things because of politics, institutional ego to protect and personality issues involved. We felt that we better put this in law, so that nobody is ever in doubt on the procedure to follow. There are many Bills that have been challenged on account of concurrence alone. Today, many institutions are hamstrung on their operations because of this dispute between us and the National Assembly. When we sat down, we decided that it will be better for us to put this into law and seek an agreement that will guide future relations for posterity. In another 20, 30 or 50 years from now when none of us will be within the precincts of Parliament, those who will be there will celebrate the good wisdom that this House guided regarding this issue. I want to go on record as I move this Bill that it is the National Assembly’s perspective on how to carry out bicameral relations. I look forward to having the final report of the Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights on this topic even as we debate it. In fact, this is an occasion of the many that I have spoken on the need for us to bring this matter to a close. That is, whether it is proper for Members to debate before or after the report. I have said both schools of thought are right. This is one of the occasions where I feel Members of that committee need to know the input of the users of that particular law. I can see quite a number of them in the House this evening as I move this Bill. The users of this law is we as Parliament. I have always argued the case that nothing bars us from debating any Bill before a committee prepares and presents its report to the House. Sometimes even Members of Parliament (MPs) need to give our stakeholders views in our committees. Sometimes there is no better avenue than the Floor of the House. This is not to say that the route we have used on many Bills, which is to debate after a committee has tabled its report, is wrong. The experts of legislative processes, like Director Ruge here, can inform this debate even better because of their experience. I said there is no better time to debate a Bill such as this than right now before the committee considers the views of the users. There are no other users, but us MPs. We should listen to what every Member of this House wants in a bicameral relation between 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."
}