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{
    "id": 529247,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/529247/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 181,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, from the outset, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President for delivering this very important Speech. When I heard that the President had requested the Speaker of the National Assembly and Speaker of the Senate to allow him to address a joint sitting of Parliament, I knew that it was a very serious issue, because it is a constitutional provision. I also knew that we were about to make history, in the sense that we were operationalizing certain provisions of our Constitution; that basically when we passed that Constitution, it was never imagined. For example, it was never imagined by many people that within the first two years of the first President under our new Constitution, we would have the person elected as the President relinquish his office and allow another person to be in office. As from 5.00 p.m. when the President relinquished his presidency and left the Deputy President to hold office, he was in town. It happened in Harambee House and I was there. The President just became an ordinary person, used an ordinary vehicle, went to his home and allowed his Deputy to act as the President when he was in the country. Very few people would have had the confidence and courage to allow another person to sit in that seat. It happens in other offices, like when you and I sit on the Chair on behalf of the Speaker, but some other public officers, particularly at the county level, find it impossible to allow even the deputy governor to act, even when they are out of the country. So, we must commend the President for basically showing selfless leadership and confidence in the office, being ready, believing in the people that he works with and in the person of the Deputy President. I also want to commend him for assuring the rest of the Government that he has confidence in the Deputy President. That was historical in itself. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it was also historical in the sense that the President was honouring the constitutional requirement that when he is required in a foreign court, he will go. That was not an easy thing. Any other President in the world would have taken refuge in the office of the President to try to avoid attending such summons. He was being summoned just to go and sit down in a conference. He was not even required to speak. It is unfortunate that the ICC, that is expected to abide by certain minimum standards of law, would want a President to just go and sit there, be embarrassed and let go. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am a proud Kenyan to have witnessed the President addressing Parliament, particularly capturing salient provisions of Article 132 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"
}