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{
    "id": 1425321,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1425321/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 258,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "I had an opportunity last year to visit the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where I visited the House of Representatives and the Senate. When you visit the two Houses, even before someone tells you that this is a Lower House and this is an Upper House, you would see for yourself how the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is strong and effective. You will remember that it is the Senate House that recently rejected the presidential request to send the military to Niger and other countries which had problems. The House acts with some firmness and cannot be intimidated. I think the same should happen in Kenya. I thank the Senate for we have tried. In the eyes of the public, we have come out as a more reasonable House that stands with the people and is effective. Our colleagues on the other House where I served for five years have become a disgrace to this society. It was shameful how the National Assembly managed the impeachment Motion against the Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Linturi. That should be a wake-up call to Kenyans that we need the Senate to veto the decisions of the National Assembly. At this rate, we are not going to have a parliament in this country. I was so disappointed when the Finance Bill 2023 was passed by that House. The Members of the National Assembly were cheering like schoolchildren as they passed a Bill that was to punish the people of Kenya. Then a few months later, an MP stands somewhere and says, “we passed that Bill without reading”. That is a reason enough for that House to be vetoed by this Senate. Someone here, I think Sen. Sifuna, suggested that the Senate should also initiate Bills to try and correct these wrongs in our parliamentary system, so that we get things to be done in the right manner. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you look at the history of bicameralism, the Senate in our case is a House of calm, has experts and takes time to scrutinize matters before they pass. If this person who came up with this Bill meant well for this country, he should have looked at other jurisdictions where we have bicameralism and understand that our problem is not how we relate with the National Assembly, but the lack of clarity as to which House is higher than the other. We say we are the ‘Upper’ House because that is the global best practice. However, we need to put it in our laws, so that it is very clear which House is bigger than the other. If you read through this Bill, you will notice that the intention is basically to cripple the Senate and make it weak. I have gone through the provisions of this Bill. Clause 7 is listing a number of laws and basically trying to say that this particular Bill should be--- For example, 7C says the annual county allocation of revenue Bill will be considered by both Houses. However, they go ahead and deny us the powers to participate in the appropriation Bill. The Constitution is very clear that the Houses of Parliament should be involved in the budget-making process."
}