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{
    "id": 1494793,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1494793/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 26,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wambua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13199,
        "legal_name": "Enoch Kiio Wambua",
        "slug": "enoch-kiio-wambua"
    },
    "content": "wayward cabinet secretaries who have continued to show utter disrespect to the authority of this House. For the Cabinet Secretary in charge of matters of health to communicate to your office this morning that she will not be appearing before the Senate when she is expected to be here at 10.00 a.m. is the newest level of contempt. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am alive to the happenings of last evening where the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Social Health Authority (SHA) was suspended. The reasons given for it is professional misconduct. I do not know whether there are any provisions in law for the suspension of Cabinet Secretaries for either professional or political misconduct, but this one must go to the highest office in the land. When Senators come to the Chamber every Wednesday morning, the express reason for their appearance is to ask questions for and on behalf of the counties that they represent. Those questions are supposed to be responded to by cabinet secretaries. It is now becoming a trend. I said this two weeks ago, that for two Wednesdays in a row, we were unable to transact the Wednesday morning sessions because cabinet secretaries were not available. We went on a break and came back. The first Wednesday after the break, the cabinet secretaries do not show up and what are we expected to do? Just lament, express our displeasure and wait for another Wednesday. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, things must happen and those things must begin to happen now. All of us were in this House a couple of weeks ago during the impeachment of the Deputy President. This House received a report that the then Deputy President was indisposed, but in the wisdom of this House, we continued with the process of impeachment. We, therefore, have to continue with our sessions and interrogation on the Ministry of Health, even in the face of reports that the Cabinet Secretary is indisposed. I have heard Sen. Chute say that perhaps we need to bring a Motion of censure against the Cabinet Secretaries. Maybe, that is not enough and the starting point would be to have a serious and candid conversation with the appointing authority of the Cabinet Secretaries. With that, we will get to know whether or not these sessions make sense to the Government. The reason for these sessions, as I said, are exclusively to have an engagement with Cabinet Secretaries for and on behalf of our constituents. If you look at the Order Paper for every Wednesday morning, there is no provision for any another business, but questions to Cabinet Secretaries. Perhaps, we should disband the Wednesday morning sittings if they cannot appear. I am speaking for myself. This morning, I was supposed to be doing homework with my son, but I had to leave him to come engage with the Cabinet Secretaries. Now, I have missed out on doing homework with my son and missing out on engagement with Cabinet Secretaries. For me, it is a wasted morning. Each Senator here will have a story to say about what they were supposed to be doing. This is a bipartisan issue and it has got nothing to do with the political alignment of anyone. These Cabinet Secretaries who are the face of the President are giving this Government a very bad name. That is what it is. I mean, you cannot be invited to come to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}