HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 404219,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/404219/?format=api",
"text_counter": 63,
"type": "other",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "sit before another arm of Government – which is the Judiciary at this level – to listen and look for an advice. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it would have gone otherwise; the advice would have been that we have a role or we do not have a role. But the ability, decision and wish to sit there and believe that whatever will be decided by the court will be the right decision, is commendable even for our county governments. Because that section that enabled us to go to the Judiciary applies even far much more to the county governments, and we will be seeing more advisory opinions being sought by the counties. You and this House have set a very good example in terms of teaching and showing the counties that we abide by the rule of law. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am very saddened when it comes to the Bills that are going on in our other Chamber, the National Assembly. I am saddened because on the face of it, I have seen that a number of those Bills concern counties. Already, the Supreme Court, in their advisory opinion, said that anything that concerns elections concerns counties. I am saddened because issues of social security, for example, will concern the staff of county governments; I am saddened because issues of veterans – in fact, when I heard of that Bill, I already had in mind an amendment that will ensure that we utilize our military veterans to assist the county governments in disaster management, which basically makes it a Bill concerning counties. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have that responsibility as both Houses to look at these Bills. I am actually a bit encouraged by a Statement you made, that; “however you have been assured by your brother that the process will be---“; which means there is wind of change, however slow it may be, that is emanating from the Supreme Court decision. But that needs to be expedited. We need to accept that we cannot win everything in life; sometimes some decisions will go against us, but we accept and move forward. In fact, I have a suggestion that under Article 110, there is nothing that stops the Speaker of the Senate from forming a Committee of three Senators that advises you – and you have already recognized the senior counsel here – that will always be looking at the Bills that come in and advise the Speaker. There is also nothing that stops the Speaker of the National Assembly from having a team of three or four Members of the National Assembly who advise him by looking at Bills if they are concerning counties. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the last thing that I want to say is this; nothing stops the Senate Majority Leader – and I want the Senate Majority Leader to listen to this; I know I am addressing the Chair – but nothing stops him because in his other life, he is ranked high in the Jubilee Government – from working with the Cabinet Secretaries and the relevant Ministries and parastatals to also ensure that some of the Bills start from this House. Who told them that all Bills must start from the other House? So, if there are 10 Bills starting from the National Assembly, another 10 Bills should start from here because the procedure of Article 110 does not say which House these Bills must start from. I think that will also be useful for us. I am saying this because quietly, I have seen the Senate Majority Leader carrying some blue papers, and when I asked him, he said that they are some of the Bills, and I am a bit encouraged because of that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}