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{
"id": 481458,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/481458/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "August 7, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 38 Sen. Wako",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is, indeed, with a very heavy heart. In fact, I am saddened and disillusioned that we have come to the stage where we are now. I am disillusioned because it may be recalled that when the Finance, Commerce and Budget Committee summoned the governors, they went before the court. In Petition No.74/2014, the court decided in our favour that they could be summoned by committees of the Senate on many issues, including in the exercise of their oversight role. I thought that issue had been settled and that we were making progress in the implementation of the Constitution. Indeed, the governors began obeying that order of the court. We have successfully dealt with the Governor of Kwale, the Governor of Taita Taveta and the Chairman of the Council of Governors has even appeared before us and to a very amicable appearance, except that he was not able to answer one or two queries. He said that the answers lay at the county headquarters. He himself gave us a date when he was coming before us with documentation to answer that particular audit query. So, we were making progress. On the day that he was supposed to come, he then writes and says that governors will not appear before our Committee. Mr. Speaker, Sir, one has to ask the question: Why is it that when they were beginning to appear and co-operate pursuant to a court order should they, in defiance of that court order, now say that they are not going to appear? That is why I become saddened that people at the level of Governor can now behave in the manner in which they are behaving. So, the issue could be, first, they have something to hide, or two, the issue of the County Executive Board which we are supposed to chair. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am double saddened at the behaviour of the governors because my Committee went into this. The comments that they are making today on this Sang Bill are the comments they made when Sen. Sang originally published his Bill. It appears that they have not read the Bill as it is now. But be it as it may, they also appeared before the Committee and, in fact, we took on board all their comments and amended it the way they wanted, except just one issue on who is to be the chair. Now to come up and say that this is contrary to the Constitution and many other issues, I am very saddened. Mr. Speaker Sir, we really ought to be moving ahead. This Senate is the voice of the people according to Article 1(2) of the Constitution. The Senate and the National Assembly are really the voice of the people. In fact, we are the only people who can exercise the sovereign power of the people directly or indirectly. So, to put a stoppage to our fundamental constitutional power of oversight is really to silence the voice of the people and we cannot allow that. I support the Motion. However, I also want to put a warning that if the county governments cannot discipline themselves and operate within the existing Constitution, laws and financial regulations and if, in spite of what you have done today, they cannot wake up and now begin to cooperate so that we can finalize these audit queries as quickly as possible for the benefit of the people of this country, Parliament has the power to impose even other strict conditions to ensure that the public funds are properly spent. I am referring to Article 206--- The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}