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{
    "id": 1515660,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1515660/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 278,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kimilili, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Didmus Barasa",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "does not have a vote and does not influence, in any manner, how the Members of this House will make a decision. Kenya, as a country... This House takes a lot from what happens in other countries of comparable jurisdictions. An example is the United States of America, where their system is purely presidential. Our system is also presidential. If you look at how Nancy Pelosi presided over the affairs of the United States Congress and yet she belonged to the Democratic Party, and what is happening now regarding the current Speaker, who belongs to the Republicans, that does not stop them from being impartial in their conduct of the affairs of the House. Hon. Speaker, as you make a ruling on this, you must be guided by Article 122 of our Constitution, which makes it very clear that the Speaker of the House does not participate in the affairs of the House. Last but not least, the role of the courts is not to make any law, but to interpret the law. When we elected you as Speaker of this House, we were guided by the Standing Orders. There is no qualification as to whether the Speaker should not be a member of any political party. And above all, the Speaker is a Member of Parliament. As you retreat to make the determination, you must bring to the attention of the country that the Speaker is, indeed, a Member of Parliament, and not a civil servant. I beg to differ with the ruling of the court."
}