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{
    "id": 248435,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/248435/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 348,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Muturi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 215,
        "legal_name": "Justin Bedan Njoka Muturi",
        "slug": "justin-muturi"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have come a long way since we began the reforms in Parliament. We set up the Parliamentary Service Commission and enacted the Parliamentary Service Act to operationalise the Commission and, indeed, we have seen tremendous improvements. As the Mover has pointed out, the reforms which have been taking place in June 6, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1151 Parliament elevate the position of hon. Members to a new height. Indeed, it was in this very House, in 2003, that we enacted the Public Officer Ethics Act, which, inter alia, defines a Member of Parliament as a public officer. Being public officers, enormous responsibilities are imposed on hon. Members. Among the things that hon. Keter has stated is that even at the constituency level, we need a smooth handing-over. As hon. Members, we are in charge of public resources. Therefore, it is only fair that at the end of our term, if the electorate has lost confidence in us and they think that somebody else is better placed to steer the affairs of the constituency, we also need to have time to smoothly hand over to our successors. Indeed, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have put public officers in those offices. It is fair that with this kind of arrangement, where Parliament knows when it is finally dissolved for the General Elections, hon. Members begin to prepare themselves in the event that they do not make it back to the House. Indeed, it is wrong to expect that they will be preparing themselves while operating from the fences as it used to be the case before we got offices in Continental House. I am happy to say that I am aware that when we began thinking in terms of making these amendments, among the people that really made a lot of input to what was then proposed is the current Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs."
}