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{
    "id": 591394,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/591394/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 117,
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    "content": "current arrangement, as our friends and partners would rather have, it is that the Senate should have minimal duties. I do not think that a Republic where the taxpayer is worried about how his money is spent would want to pay an office for the glory of it. They will want to pay an officer for the glory of it, to carry out minimal duties. The other meaning was that it was church benefice to which no spiritual or pastoral charge is attached. In order to deal with this mischief, I persuade us that the way forward is to not only approve this Motion, but go out there to support and promote it under the Constitution and go to a referendum as a team. Madam Temporary Speaker, the late Wamalwa used to say that a better idea always gives way to a good idea. I think what Sen. Murkomen’s Committee has come up with is a better idea. We should not be in a time warp and think that the Constitution cannot be changed or altered. The Senate is demonstrating that we can change the Constitution for a good course and not like in the other House where it is being changed for negative or adverse objectives to the constitutional arrangement in this country. I fully hope that we will be together in this in the same way the enactment of the current Constitution required of Kenyans to come together. Had we pursued it on the basis of partisan politics, we would never have succeeded. Even the idea of Kenya becoming independent; had it been followed on the basis of partisan politics, we would never have achieved Independence. One group led the struggle for the purposes of a narrow selfish interest. This will require all of us to be together, pursue it together for what this stands for and not necessarily what other people may think that the Senate is trying to do, which is to amass additional power. I do not think we are amassing any additional power. All we are trying to do is to ensure that this institution falls within the frame and structure of the current Constitution. Madam Temporary Speaker, the idea of increasing allocation to counties despite the problems that we are seeing in many counties – corruption and misuse of money – is a matter that we can deal with using the structures within the Constitution itself. However, it has been demonstrated that the allocations to counties are making a difference to the lives and welfare of all Kenyans, irrespective of where they live or come from. No one county or community has been left out. The politics of exclusivism or tribalism can be dealt with by ensuring that resources go to counties so that everybody has a piece of the cake. I now challenge the Jubilee administration, because they have a greater challenge than the Opposition, to come to terms with what Kenya really needs. If we can come to terms with what Kenya needs, we can move forward. Yesterday I was listening to the debate of the democratic candidates in the United States of America (USA) and somebody said: “We are tired of listening to this issue of emails. We want to address the substantive issues that affect the nation”. In Kenya at the moment, the economy is not doing well. People are not being paid their salaries including allowances for Senators and, teachers out there still do not know whether their demands will be met despite court orders. In fact, this is one of the great ideas that can engage the minds and souls of Kenyans, to ensure that we have a better country and leave it better than we found it, instead of wasting our energy on International Criminal Court (ICC) debates. You find 100 Members of Parliament (MPs) going for a prayer meeting. We are supposed to do our business here in the Senate and in 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."
}