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{
    "id": 479044,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/479044/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. A.B. Duale",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 15,
        "legal_name": "Aden Bare Duale",
        "slug": "aden-duale"
    },
    "content": "confirm to the House that both the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson are attending the USA/Africa Summit which is taking place in Washington and that has forced me to seek your direction because I realize that the Vice-Chairperson, in my opinion, felt that the USA/Africa Conference going on in Washington is going to be bigger and more important than the matter before the House. Secondly, with regard to the said amendments, after discussing with key stakeholders including CIC, it was felt that those are not minor amendments. Indeed, they are substantive amendments. This august House is there for both minor and major amendments to principal Acts. If the two institutions feel that they want those amendments then they have an opportunity to bring them as substantive amendments. On the Salaries and Remuneration Commission of my good friend, Sarah Serem, I felt like Sarah Serem was given to deal with the rising wage bill of our country. I expected the Commission or somebody to bring an amendment to reduce constitutional commissions’ membership from nine members to three members in order to reduce the wage bill. However, Sarah Serem’s Commission is asking for a permanent position. That was the position I could not comprehend; that on one hand you want to reduce the wage bill and on the other hand you want to do the opposite. Based on Article 10 of the Constitution on national values - Sarah Serem should read that article – if you want to go for equity it is equity. If you want to go for justice, it is justice. You cannot have your cake and eat it, or you cannot scale the stairs and chew gum at the same time. That is the rationale. I want to urge hon. Members, through you, that Committees must take their work seriously. I want to thank the very able Committee chairpersons and members who have submitted their reports to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs as far as the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill is concerned. I am sure that in due course, you will tell the House and country at large that the leadership of committees can no longer take the House for a ride; you either choose to attend conferences and summits and accompany Heads of State or you choose to offer leadership to your respective committees. You really cannot have both. I am sure that the Leader of the Minority Party and the Deputy Minority Whip are some of the very able members of the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations. If they have the report, I want to tell them that the train has left and the Speaker has made his decision. I, therefore, expect them to bring a substantive amendment to the principal Acts that is, the Kenya Defence Forces Act and the National Intelligence Service Act. We will support Madam Sarah Serem. We will be with her in the journey to reducing the wage bill. We will work towards reducing the commissions and not creating others for permanency. She has led the way. She has shown us the road map and we want her to be on that road map for both herself and the country at large. Thank you, hon. Speaker."
}