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"id": 1516745,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1516745/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
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"content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I really appreciate colleagues who have taken the time to speak on this matter. Under normal circumstances, this is not a Motion that we normally debate. In fact, in the history of this House, as far as I can recall, we have always dispensed such Motions within 10 or 20 minutes. However, maybe Members missed the microphone and the cameras. Therefore, it was only fair for us to allow people to say something. Members have spoken on many things, but I want to appreciate the contribution, actually, of every Member that has spoken, apart from the debates that we have had on majority and minority, something which does not arise. One of the reasons I never contested - Members raising it - is because I know that here in the Senate, the question of majority and minority does not arise. After all, it is as plain as can be. Even a plain census on which party, without including the disputed political parties of United Democratic Movement(UDM), for example, holds the majority, UDA on its own, together with Ford Kenya and Democratic Party, have 24 Senators, which settles that conversation. However, be that as it may, I felt that it would not be appropriate for me to interrupt people's expression of opinion on this matter because that is what democracy is about. Opinion can never be limited. The only point at which I felt like rising was when a colleague referred us to Article 108 of our constitution, something that is akin to a taboo subject to those who understand the operation of this House. If there is a clause of the Constitution that has been used to disparage this House in the counterpart House, it is Article 108. It broke my heart that one of the leaders today actually agreed with the opposition and insisted that this House is subservient to the decisions of the National Assembly and that when they make a decision, we are supposed to follow suit without question. I allowed it to slide because I believed that with the wisdom of time and age, that Member would come to appreciate the importance of this House's independence and the reason why our decisions remain final and cannot be challenged or debated in the subsequent House. You know for a fact, as Sen. M. Kajwang alluded to, that this Constitution has been found to be inconsistent in terms of its use of the terms National Assembly and Parliament. That is why you see, for example, that there are state officers that we actually vet alongside the National Assembly, like the Inspector-General of Police, Governor of Central Bank, and others that were left out, which points out glaring errors. It might be in 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."
}