Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 491618,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/491618/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "no reason not to thank and ask them to move with speed and find out what needs to be done in law to give life to the county governments. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you will find that this week we are condemning the county governments, particularly the way they conduct themselves in terms of spending public funds and the next week we are talking about giving them more money. As a result, you find the public at a loss. What are we trying to say? Why do we say something this month and talk about something different the next month? We have had some impeachment proceedings before this House. With your permission, I suggest that if a Motion on impeachment is brought before this House and the Motion is carried or lost, the final destination should be to investigate the concerned person by competent authorities to make sure that the accusations are not just mere allegations. Since this Senate is the big brother to the county governments, it is our responsibility to make sure that county governments run properly, are protected and that they are given all the facilities that they require from the national Government. We are at the middle ground between the county governments and the national Government. We are the only authority that is given powers by our Constitution to deal with matters affecting counties in this country. Giving them powers is not that the Senate is doing them any favour. This is enshrined in law and is constitutional. We ought to have done this long time ago. We have lost the last two years by mixing party politics and the business of the Senate as an institution. My style of looking at things is that when we assemble here as the Senate, we must find some time to think as Members of the Senate and not as Members of various political parties because that has dragged the development of this Senate behind. Sometimes we think about the Senate and the other times we are driven by party issues. We must draw the line. In the last two years we have been known and heard by the people. It is time to use wisdom because there are people in this House who are not decisive in terms of being forward looking. People enjoy criticism and some few of us believe in decision making and suggestions. However, here, you may listen to Members and if you keep a tape recorder, you will be amused when you go home. A Member, for example, who talked against county governments and how they behave in terms of spending money is the same person who the following week will say: “We have denied the county governments money.” You wonder whether we are in this world or another planet. We are all new in this dispensation and, therefore, we should not criticize ourselves because we do not start climbing a tree from the top; we start from the ground to reach where the fruits are. Therefore, I find it difficult to contribute on a Bill which everybody supports. This should have come a year ago. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there are other laws which need to be brought here by the Senate Majority Leader in collaboration with the Senate Minority Leader so that we can give our county assemblies what is due to them. Let us not pretend that we have power over them. The only power we have is the oversight power and that of impeachment. There is no other power unless we want to introduce something else which must be supported by the Constitution. I have said here several times that there should be no time that one should think that as a Senate, the protector of county governments, we 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"
}