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{
    "id": 438209,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/438209/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 211,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "(Sen. Prof.) Kindiki): Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I will also be brief because I know that many of us want to speak. I want to take this opportunity to thank Sen. Obure and his Vice Chairperson, Sen. Murungi, and all the Members of this Committee for doing us proud and especially for coming up with a very concrete and useful report which I have had the advantage of looking at. Secondly, I want to say that what we are witnessing here is once again a trial not only of the Governor of Kericho County which has come to a close, but also the continuous trial that this Chamber goes through as Kenyans put a lot of hope in what we do and how we approach issues. This process has been a bit different from what we had last time and I cannot sit down without thanking everyone. First and foremost, I thank the Members of the County Assembly of Kericho. It would be very wrong if we appear as if we are saying that when MCAs are doing their accountability work, they are wrong or they are abusing their roles. They are not. We want to send a message to all the MCAs across this country that they must exercise their responsibilities as an oversight institution without fear or favour and without ill will or affection. That way, devolution will help us realize the dream of a better Kenya. So I want to salute the MCAs because they were doing their work. I know we are not allowed to speak about the merits of the Report, but I have seen the Committee recommending some action, which means that those MCAs were saying something and so, I want to thank them. Secondly, I take this opportunity to thank the Hon. (Prof.) Chepkwony, the Governor for Kericho County, for approaching this matter judicially with humility. I know this has been said but I want to emphasize that humility is not cowardice. The Governor said: “I have been accused, the matter is now before the Senate, I will submit myself to the authority of the Senate and I will abide by the outcome of that process”. So, we are also sending a message to all the Governors in the Republic of Kenya that they must not live under a notion that they can wish the Senate of the Republic of Kenya away. We are there by law, we do our work, we know what to do when and we follow the Constitution and the law when we are doing our work. This should be the spirit. We do not want people to come and beat their chests here and start boasting here that they will go somewhere else. Where will they go to? This is Parliament and they will go nowhere. I have kept on repeating that what Parliament has done cannot be undone. You can try doing certain things but it would not work. The earlier the Governors realize that Senators are equal partners in this journey and that you cannot wish the Senate away, the better for devolution and the prosperity of this country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}