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"content": "Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, I do now move that--- I have discussed this point with you previously, because hon. Members will notice that the wording of the Motion is slightly different from the one in respect to which I gave notice. But there is no substantive difference in the meaning. It has just been refined. The wording is not entirely as I gave in the notice of Motion, and I have your permission for that. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, I beg to move:- THAT Sessional Paper No.3 of 2008 on the Report of the Standing Orders Committee laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 2nd December, 2008, be adopted and further that, the new Standing Orders contained in the Second Schedule of the Sessional Paper come into operation in the manner provided in Part XXV of that Schedule. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, hon. Members of the Kenya National Assembly, today marks a momentous day in the history of reform-making agenda in Kenya. Parliament will today, if you approve this Sessional Paper, take the boldest step yet to free itself from Executive control and give meaning to the principle of separation of powers that is enshrined in Section 30 of our Constitution, which provides that:- \"The Legislative Power of the Republic shall vest in the Parliament of Kenya, which shall consist of the President and the National Assembly.\" That legislative power is exercised in the manner set out in Section 56 of the Constitution, which is worded as follows:- \"Subject to this Constitution, the National Assembly may make Standing Orders regulating the procedure of the Assembly including, in particular, orders for the orderly conduct of proceedings and subject to Standing Orders made under Paragraph (a), establish committees in such manner and for such general or special purposes as it thinks fit, and regulate the procedure of any committee so established.\" Mr. Depuy Chairman, Sir, other procedures used in this House are derived from considered rulings by the Speaker, and also from usages, forms, precedence, customs and traditions in our National Assembly, the United Kingdom House of Commons and other parliaments, particularly those in the Commonwealth, to the extent that they are applicable to Kenya. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, it has been the practice of this National Assembly to review its Standing Orders at the end of every Parliament. Although the Eighth Parliament did not do so - the expectation then at the time being that there was to be a comprehensive review of the Constitution, which invariably would have had implications on the Standing Orders - that, unfortunately, did not happen. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, the House will recall that when we elected you to the Head of this Legislative Arm of our Government on January, 15th, 2008, you set the pace for the work so far done by declaring as follows:- \"It is my earnest belief that in my time and life of the Tenth Parliament, we shall witness progressive reforms and that this House will make it our priority to amend our Standing Orders so as to be in step and consonance with other modern December 9, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3953 parliamentary jurisdictions. That, we shall move to electronic voting and quickly embrace live coverage of the proceedings of the House.\" Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, I dare say that we have not disappointed. It may be that, today, we face intense media scrutiny as Parliament. But as Winston Churchill, way back in April 22nd, 1926, said:- \"We shall not be judged by the criticism of our opponents, but by the consequences of our acts.\" We took the next major step in the reform journey following the election of the Speaker on 26th April when you, hon. Members, constituted a Standing Orders Committee comprising of the following hon. Members: Hon. Kenneth Marende, Chairman, hon. Farah Maalim, hon. Gitobu Imanyara, Prof. Philip Kaloki, hon. Jeremiah Kioni, hon. David Were, hon. Boaz Kaino, hon. Nuh Nassir, hon. Franklin Bett, hon. Ababu Namwamba and hon. Mohammed Abdikadir. The Committee, at its first Session on 30th May, 2008, constituted a six-member Sub-committee to:- (a) Consider progress made by the Ninth Parliament towards the review of our Standing Orders. (b) Receive submissions from other parliamentary committees, individual hon. Members of Parliament, civil society and other interested groups and knowledgeable officers of the House. (c) To submit their report to the Standing Orders Committee. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, the Sub-committee comprised of the following: Hon. Jeremiah Kioni, hon. David Were, hon. Mohammed Abdikadir, Prof. Philip Kaloki, hon. Amina Abdallah and Prof. Margaret Kamar, whom we co-opted, and I, as the Chair. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, pursuant to its mandate, the Sub-committee held a two-day workshop between 3rd and 4th of July, 2008, and considered the work done under the chairmanship of the then Speaker of the National Assembly, hon. F.X. ole Kaparo, which had made comprehensive recommendations under the title \"Draft Seven\" which, unfortunately, had not been tabled before the House by the time the Ninth Parliament was dissolved. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, at this moment, I wish to commend their efforts. I would like to join my friend, hon. David Musila, in paying tribute to the Sub-committee that worked under the Speakership of hon. F.X. ole Kaparo, for the work done."
}