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{
    "id": 1489105,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1489105/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 323,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I will be so quick. When the Deputy President was here, I remembered the saying of a famous philosopher, 19th Century, Lord Acton, who said, power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. A few of us here served with the Deputy President in the National Assembly. He was a very humble, simple and social man. It was rare for him to talk. Mr. Speaker, Sir, listening to the charges and having seen what has been happening around, this is not the same man. This is a different man. Indeed, I agree with this philosopher that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This may affect all of us here. So, there is something we need to learn from what has happened today. I also congratulate the Members here for their decency and maturity in conducting a fair trial. It is not true that the Deputy President has not been given a hearing. We had to adjourn this House for two hours to wait for the witness to come, but he did not. The tradition of this House is that sometimes we receive written submissions. We do that in our committees and public participation. Some Members are saying that he was not given a fair hearing is, but that is not true. This House tried as much as possible to get the Deputy President to come. A lot has been said about various laws and articles of the Constitution that the Deputy President has violated. However, one important article of the Constitution that runs through all the charges, is Article 131 of the Constitution, which read together with Article 147, clearly says that the Deputy President is a symbol of national unity. Mr. Speaker, Sir, that is not the case. Article 131(2) says that the Deputy President, by dint of Article 147, should respect and uphold and safeguard the Constitution. That is not the case. The Deputy President should promote and enhance the unity of the nation. That is not the case. The Deputy President should promote respect for diversity of the people and communities in Kenya. That is not the case. If there is any piece of law that is going to send the Deputy President home, it is a clear violation of Article 131 of the Constitution because the Deputy President is a principal assistant to the President and therefore exercises powers of the President as per Article 131 of the Constitution. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if there is one charge, because we have 11 charges, that will send the Deputy President home, it is charge No.1. I listened to the evidence that was 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."
}