Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 385016,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/385016/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 29,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to be enjoined in the outrage that should be visited from what I heard going on in the Lower House last evening. In law, we always say you are better off focusing on substance rather than form. The Lower House is engaged in focusing on form and avoidance of substance. Any attempt to belittle the status, legitimacy and existence of the Upper House, also known as the Senate, is an affront to the very fundamental principle of devolution. The remarks and debate that went on in the Lower House can at the very best be described as totally unhelpful. I even heard one excited hon. Member of the Lower House pronouncing that they can scrap the Senate. These are the same hon. Members who swore in Kiswahili: “ Kutetea, kulinda na kuhifadhi Katiba.” This is very unfortunate. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, even at the basic levels of legal tenets - the “principle of Estoppel” - before you even look at the Constitution and other material, the Bill did not fly here, it was forwarded in writing by the Speaker of the Lower House. He is consequently, in law, “estopped” from making any different finding on the same issue. He did not forward the Bill to this Upper House on the basis of magnanimity; he forwarded the Bill on the basis of a constitutional grounding. Indeed, if you look at Article 218 of the Constitution, it talks of the Revenue Allocation Bill being introduced in Parliament. It does not talk of the Lower House. Parliament means and includes both the Upper and Lower Houses. The diversionary engagement that we see going on in the Lower House is, indeed, unfortunate. I want to urge my colleagues that we remain seized with the focus we have established, the dignity and respect we have earned and the admiration we are commanding from the people of this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, again, one excited hon. Member of the Lower House referred to this House as a House of retirees."
}