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    "id": 529583,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/529583/?format=api",
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    "content": "was ever consulted on any legislative agenda? Did anybody advise the President not to assent to the Bills that he assented to? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I think as an opposition, we have a critical mandate to see the other side of the story. In political party dominance of this nature, a lot of people like it whenever you are in power because you are very attractive and everybody rolls out the red carpet. But those who are in power today were not in power yesterday. Those who are in power today, they might not be in power tomorrow. I can tell you for a fact that you must build institutions and countries that outlast individuals and political coalitions. In the circumstances, we have right now, the most critical element for us to partake as a country is institution building. We cannot destroy the institution of the Senate. We cannot destroy the institution of the court. Neither can we destroy the institution of the presidency. We are institutional builders. That is why we support the institutional building process. However, it cannot be selective. It has to be in its totality. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as we sit here today and celebrate, let us also locate the plight of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the post-election violence victims. This Senate even needs to adjourn itself just to update itself on what we have done for the victims and to find out what progress has been made in terms of the overall resettlement of the IDPs. Sen. Wako reminded me that there are those IDPs who are in camps and those who have moved to live with their relatives, but they are still IDPs, but they have been forgotten. We cannot only be using one dominant narrative because we are now in power. There must always be a counter narrative so that every Government is tasted on account of what is the best practice. As Sen. Wako said, the Constitution came into automatic effect. But, again, we like to perpetuate a dominant narrative at the exclusion of all other narratives. You say that whether we came or not, it was done. Yes, it could have been done and that message was sent. But also we resist the use of public institutions of this nature to manipulate public opinion. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I was also firmly informed that the processes for convening – and I wish Sen. Wetangula was here to give further information – special sessions were not adhered to. We have laid down parliamentary procedures which must be followed to the letter and spirit, notwithstanding the political circumstances. If we need to respect institutions, let us respect all the institutions. If we need to respect laws, let us respect all the laws. For some of us, it is normal to respect laws. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, do you think that for those of us who live on this side of the political divide, it would have been easy for us if we did not respect laws? Therefore, let there not be a temptation to make it appear like it is such an extra ordinary feat for a personal problem to metamorphose into some national euphoria, thereby telling us that it was such an act of magnanimity. I can tell you for a fact that the opposition were the first people to say that President Uhuru should attend to court because the opposition was cognizant of the dire consequences, not only on his person and, probably, even in terms of Kenya, in terms of its framework of international relations. 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"
}