Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 609944,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/609944/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 96,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. We started this debate on a very divine note. I wish that the Mover of the Motion, Sen. Murkomen, was here because I would have referred him to the book of Daniel Chapter 4 where the story of Nebuchadnezzar is found. I wish and I hope that we will send a message to those who are in positions of power the kind of message that God sent to Nebuchadnezzar. God reminded him that the position of influence, wealth and everything else that he had was of the Lord. Unfortunately, he never heeded to the dream that God sent him. For seven years, he was driven insane and fed on grass. That is the message I would have wished the Mover of this Motion to take to the people out there, some who do not realise that the positions they hold are a reward and a gift from God. I also wish to congratulate those we sent to mediate on our behalf with the National Assembly. We provided three key persons and so did the National Assembly. We know from media reports that there was a stalemate. In fact, we would be in a bigger crisis than we are in today had both parties failed to cede ground. I would wish to congratulate the Member for Ruaraka who defied a hardline position which the Members of the National Assembly had been drilled into and received calls. It was short of intimidation that they were not supposed to cede any ground to the Senate. It is because of that patriotism that we have averted a national crisis. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the issue here is neither legal nor technical. I will leave the legal dissection to the legal experts because the Supreme Court has pronounced itself in an advisory manner. The Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution has also given its views. We could be entitled to our own opinions but no institution can be entitled to manufacture its own facts. So, we cannot continue having a legal discussion on this, yet important institutions have already pronounced themselves. The issue here is political. I was in my home county for the past two weekends. Senators have been telling the people that our role is to get funds from Nairobi so that these funds can go to the grassroots to spur development. It is now becoming clear to the population that the Senate does not really have a role to play when it comes to the allocation of resources. When it comes to Division of Revenue, we have seen what we have been treated to by the National Assembly. When it comes to the disbursement of those funds among the 47 counties, this House was given a mechanical formula by the Commission or Revenue Allocation (CRA) and it is good that we rejected it until we got to a position where there was input from this House. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Senate could lose its relevance. If we are not involved in the distribution of resources, I do not think anyone is going to take us seriously. We keep referring to ourselves as the “Upper House”, but I have looked at that Constitution and I have failed to find a single instance where this House is referred to as the Upper House. It probably is a matter that is in our heads and that is why I support the establishment of a select committee to look into ways of strengthening the role of the Senate. 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."
}