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{
    "id": 505341,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/505341/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 210,
    "type": "other",
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    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, looking at this Bill, the intentions are very good and I was impressed by the mover when he tried to oil something which was a bit dry. I am very sure because I was not quite convinced looking at him when he was talking. If he had been given a chance, he would have come out with some amendment. We should be careful when we talk about the “Lower House” or the National Assembly. We have to be civil. Let it not appear as if a crime has been committed. We also have committed various crimes. If you asked the county governments whether the Senate is doing well, some of them will tell you that they do not know what is happening. We should know that we are heading the same direction and if our brothers go wrong, we need not criticize them but correct them. That is the only way we shall have cohesive politics which is lacking in this country. In this country, we do not know where the National Assembly, the Senate or the political parties are heading to. There is total confusion. We are, therefore, likely to put this country into a bigger problem. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I do not intend to go through this Bill clause by clause because it will take a long time. There are many areas that I may not agree with but since the Speaker committed to the House that the Bill will be committed to the relevant committees so that they come up with a more detailed and clearer Bill when the time comes, I think that will be in March next year. I do not see the reason why this Bill was not immediately committed to the relevant committee so that we pass it in March because during December and part of January we will all be away. It will be a big problem to get Members to deal with this Bill. It is normal to subject this Bill to the Attorney-General but the final responsibility lies with the person who signed it and not the Attorney-General. This is a Bill concerning county governments for the purpose of Article 110 of the Constitution. If you look at that Article it is so confusing that the drafters of this Bill needed to be very clear on what they meant. Although they say that this will not occasion any additional expenditure or public funds, that assertion does not hold any water. I did not want to go through this Bill clause by clause but just to make a political statement as I have just made. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we should all the time know what belongs to the Government is the Government’s and what belongs to us is ours because times have changed. We no-longer have Government Bills. I do not think anything should change because we still have the Opposition and the Government side. We have to be sure that what we are doing is in tandem with Government policy. We are facing a new kind of politics which some of us have to learn. It is good to say that there is no end to learning. I am learning a completely new political society. For example, if you want to be a Member of the Opposition today, you become one and when you want to pretend that you are not in the Opposition it automatically happens. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, time has come for us to re-think where we are going. I was a Minister for Lands for many years and I can tell you that if you want to destroy the entire country, play around with land issues. Land issues should be decided with the owners of the land. If it is land in Maasai land, let the Maasais decide whether they are ready to do what is in the Bill. If it is something that involves the Kisiis or the Laikipia people, you should let the indigenous people know why their land is being taken away and if it is for their own good. They will not object, but if they object, you leave it 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."
}