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    "id": 437793,
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    "content": "I beg to second this Motion. I enjoin my distinguished learned junior in what he has said about the Motion and what the role of this Senate is. I want to urge that at all times, this Senate must act without fear, favour or prejudice on each and every matter. By doing so, we shall be discharging a very important constitutional responsibility. The drafters of our Constitution were very conscious of the fact that while somebody can legitimately go into office, they can also run amok once they are in the office. It should not be lost on us that Adolf Hitler was popularly elected by a landslide. When he got into office, he embarked on a misadventure that burnt the whole world. We have many small “Hitlers” all over, in the economic sense and in many other ways who get into office legitimately and embark on totally untenable things. As we do so, we want our brothers, the Governors, out there to rest assured and be advised by this Senate that no Governor will come to this House to be punished on behalf of other Governors. No Governor will come here carrying the collective guilt of other Governors. Governors who end up in a situation such as this come here as individuals, are heard on their merit and their issues are decided on merit. This Senate Chamber is not and shall not be a slaughterhouse for Governors. We want to assure Governors that they must work without fear and that they must not fear to work. This is simply because the law protects them. However, the law is also there to take care of excesses. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are many challenges facing devolution. As I said the other day – I want to repeat the quote where my good friend, Mumo Matemu of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said; “there are no Governors who are thieves. However, there are thieves who have found their way into the offices of the Governors.” When this happens, we must apply the law fairly and justly. The whole country is looking at this Senate. Unlike the previous hearing, I want to urge that once we meet the timelines of what we have done this afternoon and the Committee brings the Report within ten days, when the matter comes for debate, we must fully ventilate and examine the procedures used, look at the facts placed before the County Assembly and see how the facts have been articulated before the Committee. On that note, I want to refer to Standing Order No.68(1)(a) and (b) and encourage my distinguished colleagues - Sen. Khaniri, Sen. Boni Khalwale and Sen. Justice Madzayo - who were feeling restless as to whether we are doing the right thing. We are right because you cannot read Standing Order No.68(1)(a) and ignore (b). You must read both. If you want to table charges here, you should not go to “b.” If you want to go to committee, you leave “a” and go to “b.” Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to laud you for that very wise and just ruling on the issue of procedure. I know that you said that we should not go beyond approving the names. I want to say that the 11 names that were brought before you have been through very thorough consultations. We have no doubt that each and every distinguished Senator here can sit on any Committee. We have picked those names very carefully. If you look at all of them, you will see that they have distinguished records in public service and even in their debates in this House. I have no doubt that we have lawyers, former Ministers, bankers and others who will deliver a verdict that we can all carry proudly out there and say that this is a House full of just men and women who hear people without fear and give a judgment that one 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."
}