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{
    "id": 492867,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/492867/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 174,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "I would also like to applaud hon. (Mrs.) Charity Ngilu. I would like to ask hon. Members to focus on the good. Let us focus on the fact that a Cabinet Secretary came on the first day and we had very good discussions with her. Let us not focus on the two who, for one reason or another, did not stay through the morning sitting. Those are issues we will deal with and we will find out what happened between the time they were here and when they were not; but let that not be the focus. Let the focus be the gains that we have made with respect to the Committee on General Oversight. Hon. Speaker, the challenge we have is that we are dealing with the new dispensation. In this new dispensation, we have different organs of Government that must work together. They must find ways of getting to some form of equilibrium. This is a very innovative way through which, at least, we can legislate on issues of national importance. We are the ones who are most interested with it because for the two hours in a week the Government will talk about what it is doing for Kenyans. This is definitely cheaper than the advertisement we see every day on television from Government. When hon. Members ask questions they are not asking for themselves. That is something we must get right. When hon. Kaluma stands up to ask a question, he does it on behalf of hundreds or thousands of people. This House represents the entire country. We are the best to give an exposition of the Government policy as representative of the people. Therefore, this is something I want to request you to support. Over the past few weeks there has been miscommunication on what Parliament wants to do. I will not say that it has been driven by the media, but there has been some thinking that we are going back to the old Constitution where we had members of the Cabinet sitting in the House. That is far from the truth. I was not here in the morning but I was following the proceedings. We must clearly set the ground rules. I heard many hon. Members referring to the Chair as “Mr. Speaker”; which to me is wrong. In that sitting we should not refer to you as “Speaker” but “Chairman”; because it is just a committee of 349 hon. Members. Secondly, we must have a very clear distinction of the issues brought to the Committee on General Oversight. Hon. Members should raise issues that are of national importance, not issues affecting a school or a small dam in their constituencies. They should be issues that are of interest to members of the public. Therefore, I would like to urge the House not to read ill motive from the Government side or from Cabinet Secretaries who came and left. Let us get some understanding on what happened. We stand for transparency and accountability. Indeed, hon. Members have alluded to the fact that the Chairman of the CIC has been making comments that are uncalled for. Let us not use this platform to vilify an individual, but question the process through which the CIC comes up with some of these positions. Everybody is entitled to his expression and opinion. We feel very strongly that there is no performance in that institution. Let us do what Parliament does instead of standing here and ranting about an individual. If the individual’s interpretation of the Constitution is wrong, we have the right procedures to deal with that. Having said that, there is this notion and it has become a habit that when you cannot find a provision in the Constitution--- Certain quarters in this country quote the spirit of the Constitution. It is as if there is a spirit that talks to a few people and not to the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}