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{
    "id": 385099,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/385099/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 112,
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    "content": "treated separately and given a big share of Kshs15 billion as per the estimate of the Commission on Revenue Allocation. The administration expenses should be given Kshs7.5 billion, the county PM expenses KShs13.8 billion and contingency Kshs18.4 billion which brings it to about Kshs234 billion or thereabout. I am in support of those who have said that we amend this by giving more to the counties. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other issue relates to what was stated in the Lower House that we are retirees. I am a retiree but I am not tired. I wanted to make it clear to them that I am not tired and about 150,000 people of Busia saw me and said that I was very fit to be their Senator. So, we should not refer to elders in derogatory terms because under Section 57 of the Constitution, even the elders have rights. Section 57 says:- “The State shall maintain the rights of older persons to fully participate in the affairs of the society”. I am fully participating in the affairs of the society by the consent of the people. It goes on - “To pursue their personal development” Well, I am developed but I want further development. It goes on - “To live in dignity and respect and free from abuse” That is what I am complaining about. We should never refer to elders in derogatory terms. It is against the Constitution. Not only is it against the Constitution but it is against our African traditions. We must give respect to the elders and we must receive reasonable care and assistance from the State. I hope that our Parliamentary Service Commission is going to do that so that we receive the appropriate care and attention. I hope Sen. G.G. Kariuki, my elder here, is supporting me in this particular regard. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the most serious point is that – I agree with Sen. Orengo that you do not look for functions – this Constitution is about checks and balances. So, one cannot claim to be superior to the other because there is somebody else to check you. The President, the Judiciary and Parliament have somebody else to check them. So, checks and balances are the norm on this thing but when it comes to deciding who is upper, I would myself not use as was used in the Lower House, that because we are concerned with a minimum of 15 per cent of the Budget, we are lower than the other House which is concerned with the entire Budget. We are all concerned with the entire Budget, but people should not forget that the sovereign power lies in the people of Kenya. The people of Kenya vote and delegate that power by voting. So, the number of votes somebody has received in a particular area, to me, is important. For example, in Busia County, no Member of Parliament received more votes than me. I got a totality of all their votes and more. Therefore, when it comes to the sovereign power of the people, I am the bearer of the sovereign power of the people of Busia. When it comes to the nation, the President is the bearer. When it comes to the County Assembly, it is the County representative. To say that the National Assembly is higher than the Senate is actually absurd because it is to say that the County Assembly is higher than the National Assembly. Because as I am in charge of seven Members of Parliament, a Member of Parliament is maybe in charge of six to seven county representatives and so on. That is how the pyramid goes. It is the County Assembly, the National Assembly, the Senators at the apex and at the very top the President of the country. The Senators and Governors follow the President, but in The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}