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{
    "id": 194265,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/194265/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 204,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. C. Kilonzo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 46,
        "legal_name": "Charles Mutavi Kilonzo",
        "slug": "charles-kilonzo"
    },
    "content": "Oh, definitely! Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is important to know that when Parliament is on recess, the Government is on honeymoon. Nobody will question them on their sweet deals they are doing. No Questions are brought here and no Ministerial Statements are asked for. So, basically, they are on honeymoon. When Mr. Ojode says that we are going on recess so that parliamentarians can be taken to Mombasa for holiday, let him be told that we have no intention of going there! We want to be in the House! Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are against having 95 Members of Parliament sitting in the Cabinet; 42 Ministers and 53 Assistant Ministers. It is wrong! That is why Parliament is actually tired because these fellows are doing Executive work out there. Truly, if you have the heart of Kenyans at heart, could about 50 of you just join us here? It is very sweet being a Backbencher! Last year, Kenyans voted for change. They knew that they were to get change. However, what they did not know is that they were to be short-changed. They wanted change in the form of a new, effective and lean Cabinet. During the last Parliament, it was everytime about the Motion of Adjournment. It was always being said: \"We are tired,\" yet the Assistant Ministers were complaining that they did not have any work to do. Whom do we believe? Is it the Assistant who do the work or the Ministers who are tired? We wanted change in the form of more new Members of Parliament. We got 70 per cent of them; a new Parliament. May 14, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1059 But what did we get for the Government? Ni ile tu ya KANU ; the old one! About 80 per cent of them have been Ministers before and 12 per cent of them are new. If you were not ever a KANU person, you could not get the first five slots. Number one went to KANU. Number two went to KANU. Number three also went to KANU. Both Deputy Prime Ministers are KANU. Then you stand there and tell us that you do not want a Grand Opposition Coalition. The reason why these people are scared of Parliament forming itself in a structured manner--- Our agenda is very simple. We want to be structured, so that we can bring issues in a proper way and check the Government in an organized manner. We have business that we would want brought here. But who is controlling the House Business Committee? It is the Government. We do not have enough numbers of Backbenchers who can say: \"This what we would want to be brought to this House.\" If we had proper numbers in the House Business Committee, I am sure today we would not be talking about the Motion for Adjournment. It would have died in the House Business Committee. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is unfortunate that we are still short-changing Kenyans. Parliament will be crippled! Every now and then, we are told: \"There is a Motion for Adjournment. Go home.\" But let me talk. Mr. Ojaamong mentioned about the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). I had the opportunity to be a Member of the Parliamentary Committee on CDF. This is the tip and it concerns every Members of Parliament; whether a Minister or not. The Committee has not yet elected its Chairman. The only time we can seriously negotiate for that money with the Minister for Finance is when Parliament is sitting. We are currently at 3 per cent. The hon. Minister for Finance can as well be at 2.5 per cent. With those few remarks, I beg to oppose."
}