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{
    "id": 1427146,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1427146/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 224,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is also the issue of ascertaining the quorum before a voice vote is taken. I have seen on many occasions in this House when sometimes we do not have quorum, a voice vote is put and a matter before us is passed. This amendment will allow this House not to get to a risky situation. Someone who is keen can take this Senate to court when we pass a law without sufficient quorum. I hold a contrary view on the issue of the implementation committee. I have read the Report by the Committee, but I am not convinced by reasons stated on the need to have the implementation committee. They have cited budgetary reasons and that a parent committee can do that. There are so many issues that arise in this House, which are not necessarily before committees. For example, when Cabinet Secretaries appear before us and make undertakings, who is supposed to follow up on that? This issue of having an implementation committee is justifiable and we need to rethink. The Procedure and Rules Committee needs to relook at this matter. Looking at other jurisdictions; implementation committees are critical. The equivalent of the House of Representatives in Commonwealth countries like Nigeria has implementation committees. In India, the Committee on Government Assurances handles all resolutions of the House on a day-to-day basis. Uganda has Government Assurances Committee. They have the same in the Parliament of Ghana. It is important for us to relook at this matter. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I know for sure that most committees that we have handle current matters. They do not go back to start looking at what was proposed and has not been implemented. Therefore, we need to have a committee that sits in there to handle all resolutions, undertakings and assurances made to this House. I served in the National Assembly in the Twelfth Parliament, and I was the Vice Chair of the Implementation Committee. I noticed that Implementation Committee performs another role apart from following up on recommendations or resolutions of the House. It is an appeal mechanism for the House when a committee makes resolutions then someone goes to court as a result of those resolutions or brings a petition questioning resolutions of the House. We need to have an internal appeal mechanism, so that we do not provide an opportunity for people to go to court on every issue. If we want to enhance the supremacy of Parliament in this country, we must have a proper mechanism of ensuring that whatever we pass is implemented. Most resolutions passed here and in the other House are never implemented. A case in point is that this House passed a resolution on non-remitted pensions by county governments estimated to be Kshs80 billion. I was surprised that the Attorney-General who was directed by this House to gazette a taskforce to implement that instead questioned the resolution of the committee. These are challenges we are facing. We will make progress if we have a substantive committee whose role is to follow up on resolutions of the House. It is also important that we have administrative mechanisms within Parliament to follow up on implementation of our resolutions. Once this House passes a resolution, we must have a unit within the Parliamentary Service Commission, just like the 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."
}