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{
    "id": 562064,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/562064/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 35,
    "type": "other",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, what runs through these Petitions gives us two things as a Senate. One, the public is fully aware of their rights under the new Constitution and will stop at nothing to enforce those rights. Second and most important, it is unfortunate that the Senators of the counties where these Petitions have come from, who should, in fact, be the sponsors, are not here. If what you have read to us about Nakuru County is actually happening, it casts a very serious issue on how devolution is being mismanaged by those entrusted. In my many years in Parliament, I have only heard today that a speaker can hire goons, guards and all manner of people to molest members in the House. I hope that is not happening. We saw an Indian, Italian, Korean and Somali type of activity in Nakuru County Assembly where there was a serious fist fight. If that was caused by the speaker, by bringing in strangers, it is actually insubordination of the Constitution and should lead to, not only the speaker being impeached, but probably, being barred from holding such office. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I urge the committees to investigate these matters very seriously because when citizens come to the Senate, it means that they have lost faith in any other institution along the way. You remember the words of the Senator for Narok County, after bringing here and sponsoring petition; that this was their last hope. I believe that members of the public are treating the Senate as their last hope. Nakuru County has been notorious for these excesses since Independence. You remember that there was a man called Kariuki Chotara and another one called Kihika Kimani, who used to tell the country: “ Serikali ya Nairobi ni ingine na Serikali yaNakuru ni ingine .” I hope that we are not getting to that. It is the duty of the Senate to curtail such excess. The case of Machakos County and the allegations of misappropriations of funds are equally notorious. I hope the relevant committee will look at this. However, more importantly, what runs through two or three of those Petitions is that the Senate and the individual Senators in their counties must come to terms with how locally collected revenue is being accounted for, banked and used. I come from a county where before devolution, we used to collect close to Kshs2 billion through the seven local authorities. The economy is now booming because of devolution. However, last year, the records of the county government show that they only collected Kshs158 million. The money is being collected and that is the slush fund that most governors are using to play reckless politics. The Senate is an oversight body. I laud the ruling of the court that every governor must submit and supplicate themselves to the Senate, to be questioned on how they are spending public funds. I hope the distinguished Senator for Kakamega and his committee will no longer come here and cry for help. You have now been given the teeth and you can use them to bite. That way, we can have protection of the public in the manner that the funds are used. Mr. Speaker, Sir, recently, a Senator told us how his governor turned up in a harambee with Kshs7 million cash in a bag. This cannot be money earned by the"
}