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{
    "id": 580002,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/580002/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 133,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Talking about the National Assembly, in particular, I do not think there is any other place in Kenya with a higher concentration of elected leaders. It is, therefore, not for nothing that the Constitution empowers the people of Kenya to exercise their sovereign power either directly or through their elected representatives. As the representatives of the people, we have been given power by our Constitution to make laws and represent the people. As we all know, representation is a very intricate affair. We are also mandated to provide oversight in the utilization of public resources. The powers and privileges provided in the Constitution can only be successfully discharged with guarantees of certain immunities and privileges. As an engineer, the function of representation in particular is what I would describe as a thoroughly complex polynomial equation. This is because other than the fact that it is unpredictable, many times Members of Parliament find themselves in situations where they have to respond without any prior preparation. I am very pleased with the attempt by my brother, Hon. Keynan, to bring this Bill to this House. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have had a problem with the definition of “precincts of Parliament” – which need to be clearly defined. I have said before that each one of us seated in this House is a potential former Member of Parliament. At one point, most of us will be former Members of Parliament. The last thing we would like is to be haunted from wherever we will be after doing our duty to the nation as a result of actions we took when we were Members of Parliament. When we sit here and tend to be pervious to the problems that are bedeviling former Members of Parliament, then we are being unrealistic. In fact, it amounts to putting ourselves in precarious positions. I have in mind, and I have said it before the matter that has really dogged the former Member of this House, Hon. Gor Sungu, who represented Kisumu Town East for 10 years. He has been taken to court and fined because he made a pronouncement on a matter that was live before this House. We have to provide those safeguards. Those who have not had the privilege to sit in this House might want to think that we are merely hoping to surround and capsulate ourselves in hived environment that make us look like sacred cows. Far be it from such thought as we do not, in any way, intend to make ourselves sacred cows because rights and privileges come with responsibilities. I do not, in any way, think that this Bill says that when we get these rights and privileges, we throw the responsibilities we ought to discharge to ourselves and to the people of Kenya, out of the window. I think this is very important. I know that there are several colleagues who want to contribute to this Bill. I want to conclude by saying that as we talk about the rights and privileges that should be bestowed upon us, as Members of Parliament, as has been eloquently said by my good friend, Hon. Millie, let us also think about the rights of those who work for us. Our work is enabled by parliamentary staff - those who work for us in our constituencies and parliamentary offices. It is wrong when it starts to look like their rights and privilege becomes a secondary issue, especially with regard to the matter of their payment. This has been a long standing issue, and I am glad that Hon. Keynan, apart from being a sponsor of this Bill, also sits in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). This matter has to be sorted out once and for all. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}