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{
"id": 421509,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/421509/?format=api",
"text_counter": 115,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "March 11, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 16 Sen. Wako",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, our new Constitution in itself attaches a lot of importance to citizens’ participation in its implementation. The preamble of our Constitution states that it is the aspiration of all Kenyans to have a Government based on essential values of democracy. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, our Constitution in declaring Kenya a sovereign Republic, states that Kenya shall be a multiparty democratic state, founded on certain values and principles. When you go to Article 10 of the Constitution which deals with values and principles of governance, one of those values and principles of governance is democracy and participation of the people. If you now move to the chapter and those parts of our Constitution which deal with devolution, it states that the objects and principles of devolved government are to promote democracy, give power of self governance to the people and enhance participation of the people in the exercise of the powers of the State and in making decisions which affect them. It also gives the right to the communities to manage their own affairs. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, moving away from the Constitution and going now to the County Government Act, Section 91 provides that structures shall be established that will allow, permit and facilitate citizen participation, including such places like town hall meetings, budget preparations, development project sites and citizen fora at the county and decentralized units. As Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, we shall be bringing a Bill to this august Assembly, which will provide for the structures of the citizen fora at the county and decentralized units, enabling Kenyans to participate in matters that touch on governance within the county. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it must be recalled that we are now operating under the new Constitution, which has changed in very fundamental ways the system of Government that we had before, but more basically from a centralized to a decentralized system. The Constitution also which has one of the most comprehensive provisions of the Bill of Rights---In fact, it has been said that our chapter that deals with human rights, is on one of the most comprehensive in any constitution in the world. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we know that under Article 1 of our Constitution all sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya. It is the people of Kenya who will then delegate their powers to Parliament, the national Executive, the county executive, the Judiciary and independent tribunals. I know that we have provided for many institutions, checks and balances and so on. But at the very centre of implementing this Constitution, it is the people of Kenya who have delegated the powers to us, and, therefore, have an oversight role over all of us. You cannot have an oversight over all of us, unless you are properly informed of what the provisions in this Constitution entail. It is Parliament which is exercising the sovereign power of the people of Kenya through legislation. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is important that the people of Kenya know the roles of the National Assembly and the Senate. Speaking for myself, and I am quite sure that a number of Senators can bear me out, up to now, I do not think that many people in Kenya know what really the role of a Senator is in a county. We are still in the old system; that I am a Member of Parliament and, therefore, I am actually there to look after their personal interests, if I may say so. They think of us just like any other Member of Parliament. It is really the Member of the National Assembly, through the Constitution, who looks after the direct interests of the people at that personalized level. That is why 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."
}