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{
    "id": 1495019,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1495019/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 145,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": " Thank you. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you were not here but in my moving notes, I said that this is justice to the county assemblies. In 2016, at the Pride Inn Paradise Beach Resort and Spa, if I am not wrong, we had the inaugural Legislative Summit, which brings together Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and the Senate. Part of the takeaways from that Summit, Sen. Onyonka, was that we were going to do this for our county assemblies. It has taken us a freaking eight years to do this for them. It is completely unfair. I really hope that we can conclude on this, preferably tomorrow. I did not see any of the whips of the Minority side, but I see Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale is here. I am sure they have their own caucus of whips of the Senate. If they can, they should rally numbers, so that tomorrow afternoon, we put this to a vote alongside other Bills. We should conclude on it by putting together the amendments that are needed and before we break for recess, have the National Assembly begin to consider it. At least, if there is any chance that our colleagues in the National Assembly can equally be pushed, and I will personally take the initiative to prioritize on this Bill; it will be extremely important so that at the very worst, this be the last financial year that MCAs have to withstand this very embarrassing scenario that has been described here. This is not the devolution that the late Dr. Chrispin Odhiambo Mbai envisioned for this country. I am sure when they sat down as a technical committee that worked on the chapter of devolution in our Constitution, they expected better. This is not what they expected of our county assemblies. I know there is a lot more given that they did not expect on the Executive side. While we fix the Executive, we must also aid our county assemblies to perform their duties without any hindrance. Therefore, I thank you and all the 28 Senators that have spoken to this Bill. I believe that their contribution has not been in vain. When all is said and done, we will all look back with pride when we write our exit report of the 13th Parliament as Members of the Fourth Senate, and proudly put this as one of the hallmarks of our legislative work. I do not know why we have not had any legislative conferences with our MCAs so far, but I believe when we resume, we will be proud of this job that we will have done by then. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, and all the colleagues that have spoken to this. I appreciate it. With those very many remarks, I beg to reply. Finally, in accordance with Standing Order No.66(3), I request that the putting of the question be deferred until a later date. I thank you. 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."
}