Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1442685,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1442685/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 93,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "When you engage the country at an international level in agreements that hurt the people of Kenya, we have a problem. The Constitution is very clear that treaties must go through Parliament. That is not what is happening now. Mr. President, wherever you are if you are listening to me as a leader elected by the people of Vihiga, even as we reflect as a Senate, we also want you to reflect. Hon. Members have talked about changing the Government. Mr. President, the first thing that you need to do is assent to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Bill that is before you. The National Assembly and the Senate has processed the Bill and the Speaker has now given a report from the National Assembly. The next thing is that you sign the IEBC Bill into law this evening so that we start having an IEBC in place. On overhaul of the Cabinet, most of the Cabinet Secretaries are incompetent. Today, you will hear a Cabinet Secretary making a pronunciation on a matter that is touching on another ministry. You wonder, is this Government not coordinating? I think the matter of reduction of Government ministries is logical. The number of principal secretaries is bloated. I think it is important for the numbers to be reduced. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on another topic of budget making, we know the President has written back to the National Assembly referring back the Finance Bill. However, if you read Article 115, it talks about Parliament. As a Senate, we have been unconstitutionally kicked out of the budget making process and Sen. Omtatah has this matter in court. If you read the Constitution, it is very clear that Parliament includes both the Senate and the National Assembly. Mr. President, as a demonstration of good faith, retract your referral to the National Assembly and send it to both Houses; the Senate and the National Assembly because that is what the Constitution says. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was impressed by what the Constitution says. Even in budget making process, Article 249(3) states that Parliament shall allocate adequate funds to enable each Commission and Independent Offices to operate. Why have we overlooked this when you insist on Article 109(5) that talks about introduction of the Bill in the National Assembly? That is just introducing. Article 109(3) talks about “considered” which appears in many parts of the Constitution. Part of the problem is that the process of budget making, including the Finance Bill must involve the Senate so that if the National Assembly does not do the right thing, the Senate, a House of reason, will tell them no and in a big way. Let me also talk about public debt. It is important that we audit the public debt. Let us know the exact debt that we have. Let people not be telling us we have this debt yet we do not have any statement of debt or audit report. This should be one of the major proposals to come from this. As we audit our debt, let us think about institutions which are consuming public funds and are unconstitutional; First ladies, second ladies, Prime Cabinet Secretary's wife. We all have wives and we were elected. If you were elected and earning a salary, let your wife use your salary to do the things she is doing."
}