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{
"id": 490859,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/490859/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "September 23, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 43 Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to second the Motion that the National Honours (Amendment) Bill, 2014, be read a Second Time. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as explained by the Mover, really, the gist of what we are doing in this amendment is to; once again, remind the country that after the promulgation of the new Constitution, 2010, Kenya became a bicameral Parliament. Therefore, any further piece of legislation, when it is being done, it should always be done with that proviso being clear at the back of the minds of the legislators. So, in the 2013 Bill No.11 of the National Honours, when they constituted this particular organ, they left out the two critical offices in the Senate; namely the Senate Minority Leader and the Senate Majority Leader. They were either being mischievous, or they had forgotten that Kenya had since become a bicameral legislature. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this matter is so important that I want to say it here and now; that this is one of the glaring reasons the Okoa Kenya proponents for the constitutional amendments will not rest. To this extent – and I wish the Senate Majority Leader was here today – and I am glad that he is ably represented by the Whip of the Government side. You see, the 10th Parliament, because many of the Members of the National Assembly then knew that either they were unable to become Governors or Senators, being a tougher election, they chose to deliberately remove some of the powers and functions of the Senate from this particular Constitution. You will recall, as a Member of that Parliament – and Sen. Wako is here – he sat on the Naivasha Committee which deliberately did this. If you look at this Constitution and you look at the issue of offices of Parliament, that Committee in Naivasha deliberately removed what was in the Nzamba Gitonga’s draft that provided for the Senate Majority Leader, the Leader of the Majority Party in the National Assembly, the Senate Minority Leader and the Leader of the Minority Party in the National Assembly, respectively. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, that it is not here and to pretend that because that it is not here, we can, therefore, not legislate for it, is a pretext to the extent that if we did not have Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki as the Senate Majority Leader; and Sen. Wetangula as the Senate Minority Leader, this House would not function. This is because the only position of leader of majority that is given to hon. Duale, he cannot come to this House and lead the Government in its Business for the reason that if he attempted to approach this Dispatch Box, he would be quickly declared a stranger. So, the Office of the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader, until we amend the Constitution very soon, will, therefore, be exercised de facto . We will make it"
}