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{
    "id": 481436,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/481436/?format=api",
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    "content": "written to you that he has directed all the governors never to honour summons to this House. He went further to mislead us by referring to the decision of the High Court sitting in Kerugoya. He alleged that the High Court sitting in Kerugoya absolved them from the responsibility of appearing before this Committee. This Senate is well aware of what the Kerugoya Court said. It said that Senators must oversight governors. He went further to mislead the public that when the governors went to the High Court for interpretation to see whether they could be summoned to the Senate, that the High Court ruled in their favour. However, he again contradicted himself very quickly in the same letter, by saying that following that High Court ruling which purportedly ruled in their favour, they have gone to the Court of Appeal. So, if they had gone to the Court of Appeal and yet the High Court had ruled in their favour, what were they going to do in the Court of Appeal? It is because during interpretation, the Senate is perfectly in order to summon them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the evidence in the case of Governor William Kabogo shows that he has been really headstrong. He not only has defied, but he has even written letters to us, warning the Committee and by extension the Senate. I want to give evidence in letters written on 5th June, 16th June, 10th June, 19th June, 25th June, 14th July, 16th July, 31st July and 18th July. In one of these letters written to us by Governor Kabogo, the Clerk had reminded him that we will be left with no option, but to proceed under the provisions of Article 125 of the Constitution that when it comes to invitations to come before the Senate, Parliamentary business takes precedence over any other business. Governor Kabogo wrote to us and warned us to realize that he is a Government and, therefore, the Senate cannot purport to say that the business of the Senate supersedes the business of his Government. I, therefore, want to request that we all support this Motion because of the success in Nigeria. In Nigeria, when devolution came for the first time, up to five Governors were jailed, but after that lesson, devolution has been working in Nigeria so well that Nigeria has now overtaken the great South Africa as Africa’s first economy; thanks to devolution. If we, as Senators, put our foot down, not only by passing this Motion, but by also stepping up our oversight mandate and stepping up our positions as Chairpersons of the County Development Boards, devolution will work. I am sure Kenya will overtake South Africa and Morocco and become Africa’s second largest economy. I beg to move and request the Vice Chairperson of my Committee, Sen. Hassan to second the Motion."
}