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{
    "id": 497920,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/497920/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 316,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kagwe",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 229,
        "legal_name": "Mutahi Kagwe",
        "slug": "mutahi-kagwe"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, when we are out there as Senators, because we are not seen in Harambees, we do not have the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), we do not have the Governor’s kitty and we do not have money to give for scholarships, one of the things we are asked is: “What is the role of the Senator?” Today, thanks to Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., this is a very good example of exactly what the role of a Senator and the Senate is. I, therefore, want to start by congratulating Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. I would have expected no less than what he has done; I would have expected no less than him noticing an anomaly like this within the law; just to pick out of all the things that are going on around the country and to have such an eye for detail is, indeed, a great thing for our Senate. It goes to show that Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. is an asset to this House. Having said so, Madam Temporary Speaker, this is also a good opportunity for us to explain to the nation what we really do rather than what we are expected to do. We will also tell the public that the role of a Senator is to legislate, so that when they do not see us in Harambees or at cattle dip or church functions that that other elected leaders are able to attend, it is a good opportunity to tell them: “This is the work that we do and how we protect the counties.” We protect counties by ensuring that the laws that exist in our land are those that are explicit in terms of protecting not just the county individuals, but also the county assets. The law as exists today exposes our counties so viciously and badly that we are lacking. Not many people know of this gap in the law. If people knew of this gap in the law, a lot of our counties would be in problems. In fact, when you hear of, for example, Bungoma County and other counties, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you combine two things, the huge bad debts that exist and historical debts some of which were definitely illegitimate and were a result of serious corruption, both in the Judiciary - I dare say- and also amongst the suppliers to the local governments, when you look at the bulk of that debt, if the people who are owed that money and who have got injunctions were to go around the county governments collecting what they are owed and what they are holding injunctions about, the country would come to a standstill. The county governments would simply stop at an instant. Therefore, it is important for us to appreciate what we are doing here and the importance of this particular amendment. 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."
}