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{
    "id": 545495,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/545495/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 461,
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    "content": "Although this House has a critical role to play in legistlation, representation of the people and financial control, as required by Articles 94 and 96 of the Constitution, and this House is the ultimate protector of the devolved system of Government in this country, the PSC has not provided adequate facilities and services to ensure efficient and effective functioning of the Senate. This is contrary to Article 127(6) of the Constitution which requires the PSC to provide adequate services to ensure efficient and effective functioning of all Houses of Parliament, including the Senate. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, to put it bluntly, I would like to say that the PSC has given the Senate a raw deal. We have been under-resourced, underfunded and poorly served by the services of the secretariat provided by the PSC as a House. The PSC tends to treat the Senate as an irrelevant and irritating appendage of the National Assembly. It is even very evident from the composition of the PSC itself, because our own Speaker is not a member of that PSC. There is need to change this situation. We have thought it is best for us, as Senators, to empower ourselves, just like we took action as Members of Parliament to empower Parliament in 1990s. Although the Senator represents a bigger geographical unit, more people and has a more complex constituency than a Member of the Natioanl Assembly, the facilities provided to the Senator are exactly the same as those provided to an ordinary Member of Parliament. This is a situation which, as Senators, we cannot tolerate any more. The Senator has been reduced to a mere political flower girl, especially in places of governance. I am told they are page boys and not flower girls. The senators are mere political flower girls and page boys of governors. We are there to decorate the functions, to be seen and be said; that “even the Senator for Bungoma and the one for Siaya were there.” However, as to what role the Senator was playing is purely cosmetic and decorative. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this amendment will enhance the administrative autonomy of the Senate and empower the Senator to perform his role under Article 96 more effectively. The PSC, no doubt, has played a critical role in the strengthening of Parliament and removing it from the control and dominance of the Executive. Sen. Orengo will remember that when we joined Parliament in 1993, it was just a shell. We were very poorly remunerated. The salary of a Member of Parliament then, was only Kshs19,900. The committees of Parliament only existed on paper and no committee ever met. Even the staff of the then National Assembly were employees of the Public Service Commission (PSC). They were civil servants. It is the Executive of the day which used to determine the appointment, promotion and discipline of the staff of Parliament. You remember what happened to the late Ndindiri who was the Clerk. I do not know if he disagreed with the executive and found himself transferred to be an undersecretary first, in the Ministries of Wildlife and then the Ministry of Energy. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there was no parliamentary calendar. Parliament was worse than nursery school because we did not know when we would close or open. It all depended on when the former President Moi decided to call us and when he would send us home. It is the late hon. Martin Shikuku who summarised this very well by saying that 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."
}