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{
    "id": 469907,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/469907/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 248,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kembi-Gitura",
    "speaker_title": "The Deputy Speaker",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 242,
        "legal_name": "James Kembi Gitura",
        "slug": "kembi-gitura"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Senators, there is nothing for me to sleep over, if you think about this issue dispassionately. At the beginning of the vote, I indicated that the vote would be by the heads of the delegation or by a duly designated member of that delegation. At the beginning of this session this afternoon, the Speaker always starts by confirming whether or not there is a quorum. It is up to hon. Senators thereafter to raise the issue of quorum if there is no quorum. But at the time that we called this matter to vote, there was and there is still quorum in the House. The Speaker has no way of knowing how you are going to vote or whether or not, you, as heads of delegations have been designated to vote in a particular manner. If you count the number of hon. Senators in the Chamber this afternoon, you will see that we are well over the threshold. Therefore, we proceeded to vote blindly expecting that we would have a “yes” or “no” or whatever other result there would be. That is the reason I say that there is really nothing to sleep over. The thing we need to sleep over on is whether or not we need to amend our Standing Orders, so that we deal with situations like this one. This is the first time we have had to deal with this situation in this House. It is important to recognize the importance of rules and regulations as drawn in the Standing Orders. I want to emphasise to, you, hon. Senators, to make sure that when important Motions like these are on the Floor of the House and you know you will not be present that you appoint an hon. member of your delegation who is present in this House. It is upon you, as the head of the delegation, to write to the Speaker and indicate who you have designated to vote on a matter in your absence. It is unfortunate that it has been lost, but we counted everybody who voted. But there were Senators in this House, who are still here who did not vote because they did not have the right to vote under the Standing Orders. Therefore, the matter must rest at that."
}