Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1549156,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1549156/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 1082,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "legislative system, including the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) (Amendment) law, with a view to rectifying many of the issues that were brought to us by Kenyans. There is even the Constitution (Amendment) Bill. This afternoon, we passed a Motion on the consideration of the two-thirds gender rule principle, which is one of the products. It is only that I am still struggling with how the Constitution (Amendment) Bill will fit into the architecture of a bicameral parliament given the fact that the National Assembly did their report, and the Senate Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights also did their own report. We need to make a decision on this as a House. The point I am trying to make is that when we retreat as a House and try to move the country with us, we should never lose sight of the reason why we brought the country together at that time. I am reminded again, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, that after the invasion of Parliament in June last year, we passed a very detailed Motion before this House. I keep on reminding Chairpersons of Committees that that Motion was so detailed that it assigned various roles and responsibilities to our various committees. The Finance and Budget Committee, for example, where Sen. Boni Khalwale serves, were supposed to do something about debt. I know there is a Public Finance Management (PFM) (Amendment) Act on the debt anchor situation. I shared my thoughts with you last week. While I may not necessarily disagree with the thought of how to move it, the process through how you achieve it and guide the country to avoid a default is something that you need to guide us. There are so many other things that we requested of the various committees. The Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration was tasked with capturing representation in various institutions. There are institutions that are being mentioned. It is a shame that in this day and age, there are state departments that can conduct official meetings in certain local dialects. There are quite a number of names that keep on popping up here and there and we receive that information, that a certain Cabinet Secretary, Permanent Secretary, Director or Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has constituted certain state organs within the armpit of what is under their jurisdiction. That calls to question whether they understand the provisions of Article 10 of our Constitution on national values. That is work that we gave to our Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration. We are still awaiting their report and so many other things. I hate to imagine that, for example, when we get to June in two months’ time, people will look back and replay the clips of all the things that all the 67 Senators spoke to that Motion. Do we just speak and walk away? We must in retrospect ask ourselves whether we lost a moment, and whether as a House, there is still the possibility of rectifying that moment. Though people may say many things about Parliament and politicians, there is a level of trust that citizens have with this House that you do not find in many other Houses"
}