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{
    "id": 497191,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/497191/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 79,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I take this opportunity to thank Sen. Billow Kerrow for requesting this statement. This matter is not new to this House. We have debated the matter before and statements around this issue of determination of Bills have been sought and provided before. I just want to emphasize that the fact that this matter has been raised again, is a testimony that it has not gone away. The issue is very alive with us. It is also a testimony of what we must do, perhaps, what we have not done before so that we deal with it, once and for all. Having said that, the question of Bills coming either to the Lower House or this House, is not a function of either the Senate Majority Leader or the National Assembly Majority Leader. We need to understand that, first and foremost. Initially, you will remember that in one of our Kamukunjis before, we demonstrated the pervading notion that this is a function of the Attorney-General or the Executive arm. Once the Bills reach Parliament, the Constitutional responsibility of deciding and determining which Bills go to which House is that of the Hon. Ekwee Ethuro, Speaker of the Senate together with the hon. Justin Muturi, Speaker of the National Assembly. Therefore, if there is any failure, stalemate or lack of movement and progress on this matter, the blame must lay squarely on the doorstep of Justin Muturi an Ekwee Ethuro, jointly and severally. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this issue is not looking nice on us even in the eyes of the Republic. It is not looking nice on the Lower House and it is also not looking nice on the Senate. I want to take this opportunity to say that, once again, I will do whatever I can, including advising the President not to sign this Bill. This is because it is unconstitutional to sign a mining Bill passed by the National Assembly without the input of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya. This time round, that advice will be in writing for the record because we have to move to another level, and that way, we are able to cushion everybody. I think we have had blame games for a long time. 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."
}