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{
    "id": 441496,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/441496/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 208,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Nyenze",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1987,
        "legal_name": "Francis Mwanzia Nyenze (Deceased)",
        "slug": "francis-mwanzia-nyenze"
    },
    "content": "He is very close to me. He is learning, which is good. He is a good young man. Hon. Speaker, I want to support this Motion. First, I want to congratulate the Committee on the work it has done. The 37 page document or Report is very detailed and well structured. I want to say the Report’s findings and recommendations are largely targeting the implementation of Articles 95,125 and 153 of the Constitution. All these Articles deal with the oversight role of Parliament which has to oversee the Executive. A line has to be drawn between our roles of overseeing the Executive and our duty to represent our people here. Sometimes the line between representatives on the ruling Executive is very blurred and that is why I support this Motion. It will empower Parliament to bring these changes because it will seek to ensure that the sovereign power of Kenyan people is exercised through the elected hon. Members of National Assembly. The sovereign authority of Kenyan people through the elected hon. Members is to play oversight role on the Executive. These changes should not be filled in isolation. They will bring efficiency, independence and they will entrench democratic accountability in the Executive arm of the Government. The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 brought about the presidential system of Government. This system has challenges because we now have camps; there are those who are seen as pro Government and those who are seen as anti Government. We are not seen as united and cohesive. We always take sides and we cannot check the Government when we are divided. I want our colleagues to listen to this; the role of the National Assembly is to hold the Government to account, to oversee the Executive. It is not the other way of protecting the Executive. If we just take this very seriously, we will move a few steps in the right direction. This new system has faced several challenges. We have received inadequate responses from Committee Chairmen and it is not that they are not experienced, but it is because they receive information from the Cabinet Secretaries. Sometimes, if our Committee Chairman is not competent, they can hide or pass blame that the answer given was inadequate. That is the first challenge and we have seen it on the Floor. The Chairmen of Committees are overwhelmed because there have been over 400 requests for Statements. It is only fair that these changes are brought about so that Cabinet Secretaries can appear in this House. The Committee Chairmen have been perceived, either rightly or wrongly as Members of the Executive. I am sure most Chairmen of Committees do not want to be perceived that way. Kenyans and other hon. Members of the National The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}