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{
    "id": 385960,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/385960/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 62,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I have curved a niche for myself even if nobody sings it for me because I respect parliamentary democracy. The truth be said, that there are only two reasons why I am being dewhipped. The first one is in respect of Sen. Beatrice Elachi’s arrival, which I opposed. I am being dewhipped because I have refused to stop competing against Sen. Billow Kerrow for the position of Chair of the Committee for Finance, Commerce and Economic Affairs. We voted once, twice and three times and Sen. Billow Kerrow was unable to defeat me. Had I also taken the vote on Monday, because what is lost to the movers and shakers of the Jubilee side of the Government is that to win in a committee, you lobby, talk to colleagues but you do not call them names and show how mighty you are and how you come from a preferred party. Had the vote been taken on Monday which was yesterday, I would have won. If you had delayed because I continued lobbying as you, guys, continued shooting in the wrong direction, if the vote would be brought days after this, again I would win because I am lobbying Senators who are both here and without. That is lost on you, Senate Majority Leader. So, with all due respect, I do not see any reasons - if you are really in love with me as somebody who should support your side of the Government - why I should be dewhipped for being good and lobbying for votes. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the second reason why I am being dewhipped and why I oppose this Motion is the inclusion of Sen. Ali Abdi Bule. I have absolutely nothing against Sen. Ali Abdi Bule and as I said about Sen. Billow, the same applies to you. The reason why I am being removed is purely because of lack of experience in parliamentary practice. The Senate Majority Leader or whoever advised him to remove my name think that once members go to a committee and want to be leaders in those committees, then they have to follow the thinking of their parties. You were even quoted elsewhere as having said when we were in a function in Naivasha that once committees have been formed, whoever becomes the chair will depend on who the committee prefers. It would be interesting from our own experience, for you people to know that I came to Parliament in 2007 on a party that had only two members of Parliament, that is New FORD(Kenya) but I chaired the most powerful committee in Parliament for five years and yet I had only one vote in that committee. As a matter of fact, I had nobody to propose me; I had nobody to second me if parties were supposed to second their own people. Let us impress and demonstrate parliamentary democracy and I would recommend a very nice book to you. I bought it at the bookshop in the House of Commons because it is not in Kenya. The book talks about Commonwealth parliamentary practice. It is to this issue that I am addressing myself. In fact, if the Senate Majority Leader was to reserve his decision and put me back to this Committee, I would run against Sen. Billow, defeat him and then resign so that you can remain happy because I am able to make friends both on the CORD and Jubilee sides and Kenya would be happy. We do not want our Senate to face the same media treatment the way the Lower House is being treated. Look at what they are doing about the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Public Investments Committee (PIC). Why can they not ask some of us? I am the only Member of Parliament in the Republic of Kenya who has been invited in the House of Commons to address chairs of PAC of Commonwealth countries as a facilitator. I have also been invited to the Republic of South Sudan for the same reason. I have been invited to Rwanda again for the same reason. I hope I am not offending you. 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."
}