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{
    "id": 545502,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/545502/?format=api",
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    "content": "evolve. As they do so, they constantly become better, more organized, effective and discharge their responsibilities even better. I do believe that once this Bill is passed in this House, it will find favour and support from the National Assembly. Indeed, the original idea that the distinguished Senator for Meru brought to the fore was to create an institution through a constitutional amendment. But he has found that even through the Parliamentary Service Act, an amendment can give effect to what we really want to do. We must start from a point of understanding; that even in the 47 county assemblies in the country, each has its own county service board that does their work. Equally important to note, is that this Senate is on the frontline of fighting for and giving effect to the fact that county assemblies must be funded directly from the Exchequer, so that they are not held hostage by the county governments and they are not appendages to the county governments, if they have to play their oversight roles effectively and meaningfully. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if the smallest counties in terms of numbers – Lamu, Tharaka-Nithi and a few others – have got the ability and capacity in law to have a county assembly service board that manages the affairs in terms of resource management, human resource hiring and so on, then it becomes even more imperative that the Senate, as the defender and protector of counties and their governments, should even be more grounded, protected and independent than even the counties that we protect. Consequent upon this, I stand here to strongly second and support the whole idea and concept of the dynamism of institutions and how they can grow to serve their members better. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we start from the fact that the idea is predicated on the firm foundation that the Senate is and must be the Upper House. It is so unfortunate that we have an ‘Upper’ House that is subordinate almost in every respect to the ‘Lower’ House. It is a complete antithesis of common sense. We want to see that the Senate is truly a Senate. The autonomy of the Senate must be derived from a legal foundation that will then give the practical management of our affairs as an independent unit. Indeed, I agree that the PSC – and here the Senator for Meru has thought very clearly – is grounded in the Constitution. It is a constitutional commission, but the Constitution also provides that being the grand norm, operational legalities must be then traced in municipal legislations, which are the Acts of Parliament. The Act of Parliament which gives effect to the constitutional provision of the PSC is then the Parliamentary Service Act. The Parliamentary Service Act, in the amendment sought, recognizes the bicameral nature of Parliament. Of course, ‘Parliament’ under the Constitution means and includes the Senate and the National Assembly. But you have seen time and again that matters touching on the Senate and Senators are treated in a very casual manner; reducing them to literally poodles and appendages to the mandarins that run Parliament. You have heard persons in positions of responsibility asking rhetorical and irritating questions like; “what is the Senate?” Of course, they know that the Senate is, but they ask those questions with a deliberate view and desire to annoy. The Senate has declined to be annoyed by these unhelpful questions. 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."
}