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{
    "id": 282253,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/282253/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 158,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Khalwale",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 170,
        "legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
        "slug": "bonny-khalwale"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to oppose this Motion for the same reasons that the other Members have given. More importantly, it is because Mr. Orengo is here; Mr. Orengo the Minister for Lands, this is your Motion. I want you to think about what I want to say now. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am opposing this Motion so that we give the Government an opportunity to go and have a re-look at it and realize that all the Ministers and co-principals are all stuck in the past. This is because what we are doing here is what used to be done under Standing Order No.16 of the old Standing Orders and the old Constitution. This Motion is moved is under Standing Order No.18 (3). Allow me to read. “(3) The Leader of Government Business may give notice of Motion to adopt the Speech or Presidential Statement but debate on the Speech or Statement shall not exceed four sitting days.” Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, nowhere in the statutes, including the Standing Orders, do we have a provision that we come here and do the things that Parliament used to do in the old days; hon. Members would come here and thank the KANU Government and the President. They would tell him he was leader number one, teacher number one, farmer number and what have you. This was a deliberate effort to make sure that when a President makes a Speech, if it is a Speech which captures the imagination of the nation, and where Members of Parliament would like to see Kenya going, Parliament would adopt it. If it fails in that respect Parliament would reject it. Therefore, a Motion which is wrong has been brought here. This is a Motion for the exposition of public policy contained in the President’s Address. We are not here to thank the President. We want to look at the President’s Speech, interrogate it and if we are satisfied that the President and the Prime Minister are steering the country in the right direction, we adopt that Speech. If we are convinced that it is not going to achieve that for the country; Standing Order No. 18 (3), which I have read out, says that we reject it. So, why are we being asked to thank the President? We want a Motion here that will give us an opportunity to either thank him, if he is right, and, therefore, adopt the Speech or condemn him and reject the Speech. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I oppose the Motion so that the Leader of Government Business can go back and bring an amended Motion, so that we debate it in accordance with Standing Order No.18 (3). On this one I beg that the Chair now makes a ruling on my request and finds that this is not procedural. By the way I have already consulted the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, who is one of the very experienced members of the parliamentary establishment; he has a lot of knowledge on matters of procedure, and he has concurred that I have a serious point which must be ruled on."
}