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{
    "id": 470250,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/470250/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 178,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murungi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 93,
        "legal_name": "Kiraitu Murungi",
        "slug": "kiraitu-murungi"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this Motion and in so doing, I would like to commend the Whips who have done an excellent job in negotiating with the various political parties in the House to produce a list that is in compliance with the Constitution of Kenya in terms of diversity, gender, youth and regional representation. I would also like to commend them for taking into account the various qualifications and experiences of various Members of Parliament like Sen. Yusuf Haji and Senator No.1, Mr. G.G. Kariuki, who have been powerful Ministers of Defence and Foreign Relations, especially remembering that Sen. Yusuf Haji has been with troops in Somalia pursuing Al Shabaab . I think it is appropriate that he serves in this Committee of Defence and Foreign Relations, not to mention the emeritus Attorney-General, Sen. Amos Wako, the longest serving Attorney-General in the Commonwealth serving in the Committee of Legal Affairs and Human Rights. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, while commending them for this very comprehensive list, for the Senate to be effective in the oversight role, especially oversighting the county governments, we have to create new specific committees charged with the task of oversighting those governments. I am speaking specifically with regard to the committee to examine the accounts of the county governments. In Parliament, we had the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). So the Senate has to have a similar committee for it to effectively audit and oversee the accounts of the county governments. I would propose that this House in due time considers establishing a County Accounts Committee (CAC) which will be examining the expenditure of the county governments. In the same vein, it is also incumbent on us to look at the investments being made by the county governments because we said that the county governments are going to be centres of productivity which will attract a lot of investment, both local and foreign. It is for us who have the oversight role of those counties to make sure that appropriate investments are being made so that we do not end up with white elephants. It will be necessary for the Senate to establish a Counties Investments Committee which will also oversee the investments being made in various counties. I do believe that we have that power, both under the Constitution and the Standing Orders, and it is for us to empower ourselves, to be able to effectively discharge our functions, through amendment of the Standing Orders to create those two Committees. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support this Motion."
}