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{
"id": 560405,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/560405/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
"slug": "moses-wetangula"
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I might even spend less time. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the 15th of this month was a very important day. This House spoke in unison for devolution. Today, we come here in furtherance of resolutions of that day. The late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere once told his audience; “Do not wait for anybody to make you relevant. Fight for your space.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when the new Constitution was drafted, the first Bomas Draft had a very good chapter on Senate and devolution. The subsequent mutilations are now part of our history. Today, everybody in this country appreciates that devolution is changing and touching lives. However, devolution has also come with other trappings that need to be checked; the excesses and obscenities being exhibited by some of the governors. This House is the House world over that is “upper.” It is the House of revision, appellate to decisions of the “Lower House” and the House that checks and balances any excesses that may occur in the “Lower House.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this afternoon I had lunch with a distinguished High Commissioner of a country that has a bicameral system. When we discussed about the structure of the Senate, he was shocked. He said that that cannot be the case. He said that everywhere in the world, the Senate is the House of revision. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Senate cannot be a House that is trampled upon and treated with indignities by persons who do not even deserve to have any altercation with this House. The jurisdiction, mandate of a Senators and everything else about the Senate is very clear to the ordinary person. If you visit the ordinary mwananchi in your village in Tot, Pokot or Nakuru, you will see that they know that there is an MP and a Senator. It does not occur to them that a Senator is a Member of Parliament because they know that the Senator is a Member of the Senate and the Senate is not Parliament but the “Upper House.” They send a very strong message in their simplicity. Every time you go to a public meeting, wananchi begin by acknowledging Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), the governor, MP and finally the Senator in that order. They know that. We come here as a House of equity to participate in---. In fact, we hold the trump card in the sharing of revenue among counties. It defeats logic, whichever way you look at it, to allocate counties Kshs283 billion but deny the Senate Kshs1 billion to oversight how the money is spent. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, last week but one, you may have seen a much publicised visit by myself to my county hospital. I found appalling neglect, disrepair, disuse and malaise. I summed it up that that was a sick health institution. I get messages from my own constituents telling me; “you went to Bungoma but you need to come and see the other one. Bungoma may be better off.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, governors have perfected the art of public relations. Recently, my governor was rated number three by some group which I cannot remember. 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."
}