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{
    "id": 1483833,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1483833/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 191,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have listened to your Communication and I do not intend to vary your Communication. It is well thought out, but I think we have got the powers in this House. Article 125 of the Constitution and our Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, Section 18 and 19 gives us that power. We have fined this governor Kshs1 million, I think twice now and we want to know whether he has paid that to the Clerk of the House. We have a police station which is domiciled in the precincts of Parliament. Why can we not authorize that? I know the law does not allow us to direct the Inspector- General of Police, but I believe that the powers given to us by Article 125 of the Constitution, that when we sit, we sit like a High Court; we can be able to compel that witness to appear. In the last Parliament, we worked closely with the Ministry of Finance and we were able to stop certain funds from going to a particular county. I think that with the position of the Speaker and the powers given to this House, we can be able to take the same direction. Article 225, lays out the procedure on which the Cabinet Secretary can stop funds but this time around, we have got to think outside the box. We have got to be unorthodox in our thinking in order to defend devolution. We have to find a way to stop those funds and whoever is protecting this individual - because he boasts around and says that he is untouchable - must also take judicial notice that in this country, in this Senate, we will demand accountability. The only way that we can be able to ensure the people of Isiolo get their services is if we all suspend any other business today and we deal with this matter. We can censure that governor even if he is not sitting here. We talk about the separation of powers between the three arms of Government. I believe, with the spirit of cooperation, that we can be able to engage these other two arms of Government; the Executive and the Judiciary to come up with a methodology in which we can be able to demand that this individual is brought to this House, this individual is penalized and the people of Isiolo can get their services. Yesterday, I was watching a video of a young lady in Isiolo who was taken to hospital. She was in the Intensive Care Unit for 25 days and she was asked to go home because the hospital was closed. Seriously? We can sit here as Senators and allow devolution to die, allow people to thumb chest and say that they are untouchable? I think it is about time that we remind these governors that power is transient. Today, you are so powerful, tomorrow you are nothing; literally nothing. Just to use a Swahili word, “ Hii ni dhuluma .” This guy is so drunk with power, that he is humiliating his citizens. He was not elected to go there and make people suffer. We must remind these people that power is transient and that this Senate is powerful. We have been reminded so many times that we are powerful. We are going to be sitting here tomorrow discussing the issue and impeachment of a Deputy President and you still say that we do not have power? Let us use this police station which is domiciled in Parliament. We should not just see police here, trying to protect Parliament. The only way you can protect devolution is by making sure that you call these people to account. 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."
}