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{
    "id": 396921,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/396921/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 149,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kembi-Gitura",
    "speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 242,
        "legal_name": "James Kembi Gitura",
        "slug": "kembi-gitura"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Senators, before we go to the next Order, I would like to make a brief Statement. As you are aware, the Speaker of the Senate is away on official duty. He will be away for about ten days or so. I am around as the Deputy Speaker, but we have the Chairman’s Panel of two persons; Sen. Ongoro and Sen. Murkomen who are also out of the country. In short, I am alone in this duty in that specific area. I will propose this and I have proposed it before; that it is not feasible that one person can be on the Chair continuously for all the period of the sitting. The Constitution and the Standing Orders are clear. If you look at Standing Order No.18 and also Article 107(2) of the Constitution, they provide for a situation where the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are not available to perform their duties. I am available, but I may want to step out of the Chamber. In that case, we must have somebody who will stand in as a Temporary Speaker, not in the Speaker’s Panel because that has been filled as per the Standing Orders, but somebody who will be a Temporary Speaker for the purposes of that day. We have even done it before. My proposal is that even today we need to elect a Temporary Speaker under Article 107 of the Constitution and under Standing Order No.18, so that in case I have to be out of here, there is no impasse in the House and the business continues. As all of you are aware, there can never be a vacuum in the proceedings of the House. So, we shall do an election of an interim Temporary Speaker who will assist me today. On Tuesday and until the Chairman’s Panel is here again, we shall follow the same procedure. If that is acceptable, the Senate Majority Leader can help us to proceed on that matter."
}