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{
    "id": 492844,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/492844/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 151,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Limo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1915,
        "legal_name": "Joseph Kirui Limo",
        "slug": "joseph-kirui-limo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Speaker for this opportunity. From the outset, the issue of whether the Constitution supports the action which has been taken by the House should not be there. I really wonder how some people are reading the Constitution. The Constitution is very clear; if you allow me to read Article 125, it is very clear. It says either House of Parliament and there is a comma. When there is a comma, what follows is different. It says ‘Either House of Parliament, and any of its Committees’. That means that there is no possibility that Parliament has no power to call anybody; it has power to summon anybody. So, it does not say who; it says anybody in this country. It is very bad that people of the calibre of Nyachae interpret the Constitution--- They only serve on whatever side they want to please. There is no way Mr. Nyachae does not understand that it is in order for the House to call anybody. This is a House of decorum and some people should not go round saying that they will be bullied in Parliament. There is no time somebody has appeared in a committee and complained that Parliament has no respect. We want to demystify the belief that some people are saying, that they will be wasting time. I know time is very important and we should save it. In the spirit of saving time, there is no need of a Cabinet Secretary appearing in a committee and then the chairman comes and reads the same Statement in this House. What we have done is actually in the spirit of saving time, so that when a Cabinet Secretary appears before Parliament, they do so once, answers all the questions raised in the Statement request and we save time. On the issue of separation of powers, when people talk of separation of powers, even if we do not understand--- If there is a question which is supposed to be answered by the Executive, are we saying that when a Member of Parliament in the name of the Chair comes here and talks on behalf of the Executive, there is separation of powers? It is very clear that even when you ask somebody who has not gone to school what separation of powers means, and I come here and talk on his behalf--- Is that separation of power? The separation should be very clear; they should come here and talk for themselves; the Executive should speak for itself. It is actually separation of powers; what we have been doing, allowing them to speak through us, has actually been contravening separation of powers. I want to urge that this House stands its ground because we want to serve our people; we want to articulate issues which affect our people and we get it right today. I like what Mrs. Ngilu said; she said “I am here and I am firmly in this House,” so that she does not leave any doubt that she will come another time. She will be coming. I want all the Cabinet Secretaries to learn from her. In fact, I was saying that if I was the Cabinet Secretary, I would actually watch television in the morning to see how hon.(Ms) Ngilu articulated issues and learn from her. Thank you."
}