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{
    "id": 609670,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/609670/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 101,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "House has received about four impeachments; the Governor of Kericho, the Deputy Governors of Machakos and Embu and the impeachment of Governor Wambora. In all those cases, the Senate, despite the fact that we had so many disagreements with the Governors and those presiding over our resources at the counties, we remained humble, carefully looked at the law and the facts and freed three of the four people brought to this House for impeachment. Had we been convinced that even Governor Wambora was innocent, we would have freed him. Going forward, even if a matter comes to this House that involves the National Assembly and the facts are in favour of the National Assembly, this House will make a decision in favour of the National Assembly because we believe that we must carry out this responsibility as we know we are stewards and not Lords. We know that we are trustees and not the owners of the institution that we have as a Senate. It is an institution of the people of Kenya and we must use it for the benefit of the people of Kenya, in honour of the people of Kenya. Therefore, having made this pronouncement, we must move forward in the establishment of the Select Committee that we have agreed to establish. This Select Committee must come back to this House with certain legislative amendments that they think are necessary in strengthening the Senate and other institutions. The Committee must come back to this House with certain constitutional amendments that they think that we can carry out to ensure that this House becomes strong. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as a Jubilee Senator, I want to make it abundantly clear that there are those people who have gone round saying that in the Jubilee side, Sen. Murkomen or any other person does not support the amendment of the Constitution. That is not the truth. There are those who have said that those who are in the Jubilee side do not support a referendum. That is not true. The true position – we have said it over and over again – we believe that if we have to strengthen devolution, there must be certain constitutional amendments that will strengthen this House. We believe that if we have to strengthen the Constitution, there must be constitutional amendments that will ensure that we make devolution stronger in this Republic. What we have only disagreed with our colleagues is the timing. There are those of us who say that these amendments should wait and we together prepare the necessary amendments, but in 2017, as we vote during the elections, we can also vote for changes in the Constitution. There are those who are saying that we must do that before then. The Select Committee we are forming now must look for that middle ground on an agreement on time, because both sides of this House agree that the Constitution must be amended and the Senate must be strengthened. All of us must sit down and agree on the timing so that it is relevant and necessary in strengthening this House. We can be worried so much- --"
}