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{
    "id": 492947,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/492947/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 254,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Anyango",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 130,
        "legal_name": "Dalmas Anyango Otieno",
        "slug": "dalmas-otieno"
    },
    "content": "very ingenious idea. Secondly, it is not unconstitutional, but it brings a new dimension in this country. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when we were debating the decision as to whether to go presidential or parliamentary system of governance, I argued with Yash Pal Ghai when he said that a presidential system will create an “ivory tower”. It is not democratic and he agreed that it is not stable. Parliamentary system is democratic and more accountable. What Parliament is doing is to bring into account the Executive to remove the “ivory tower” kind of arrangement which we have been risking. You heard me complain before that the Leader of Majority Party was beginning to act like a Prime Minister of the Executive by promising the House things he has no capacity, nor power to implement. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, similarly, you have heard so many hon. Members complaining here that the reporting system by the Chairmen of the Departmental Committees was wanting. A lot is refined between what the Cabinet Secretaries presented to the Committees and what finally arrived before hon. Members in the House. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am personally persuaded that performance is a serious issue in the governance of our country. It is important that every person participating in any organ of governance in this country is not only accountable, but is able to be evaluated on his or her performance. Therefore, I fully support that the Cabinet Secretaries should come before the Committee on General Oversight and defend their actions. They should know very well that, if they do not implement the undertaking they give here, it would be misconduct in the eyes of the National Assembly; face to face on camera. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have to see the consequences of this very creative change. One, we have to separate the issues for which we shall demand that the Cabinet Secretaries come before the House. There should be issues that only require straight answers and an undertaking to implement thereafter. The other issue that would require investigations; detailed interrogation, multiple appearance before a committee of the Assembly should still go to the committees. In other words, we should not go back to the old Question Time where I would rise and raise a question about something of interest to my constituency in Rongo. There should be a committee under the Speaker’s Office that would scrutinize all questions directed to every Cabinet Secretary and refine the issues in a way that when the Cabinet Secretary come here; he or she gives straight answers on which we can act on thereafter. Any questions hon. Members may raise as matters of interest and concern to their constituents; would then be handed over to the Departmental Committees. We must make this change. Anybody who comes out to tell us that it is unconstitutional, then that aspect of unconstitutionality is something we may have to look at strictly and line it up. This is because the Constitution we made is clearly neither British Parliamentary nor American Presidential. It is Kenyan and we are making it out of the Kenyan experience. We are making on the basis of the demands on Kenyans to perform and to be in competition with the rest of the world. Therefore, it is in order for Parliament to come out with this idea to make members of the Executive more accountable. 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."
}