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{
    "id": 621442,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/621442/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 60,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Hassan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 431,
        "legal_name": "Hassan Omar Hassan Sarai",
        "slug": "hassan-omar-hassan-sarai"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was listening to this debate as I drove here. First, the whole standoff which has been precipitated largely by the Speaker of the National Assembly has appeared to erode the credibility of Parliament as an Institution. Every time I go anywhere, people ask how come we cannot agree. It is not true that the Senate has refused to agree, but it is true that one Chamber and its leadership have decided to undermine the other Chamber. The Speaker must be told in no uncertain terms that he has procrastinated the promise of devolution in this country. Secondly, that he has undermined the Constitution of this Republic. He has also delayed the promise we had made to our Kenyan people to deliver on some elements of this Constitution through the legislative process. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to jog your memories; when we were in the first Chamber which is sometimes referred to derogatively as “the garage” it was at that point that we made the mistake when we decided that we are a House of reason and beyond this or that. We did not want to engage these young boys in this or that. We wanted to maintain a certain level of decorum. That is when we lost our space. Now three years on, despite using all forms of decorum, it has never appeared to them that, that is not an act of cowardice, but an act befitting the Senate of the Republic. At that point, I remember you holding me back; to my disapproval, but I respected you and I still respect you even now. You told me not to move in that trajectory. We wanted to convene press conferences there with “Sonko” so that he can do a few things and so that we can speak about these issues to the National Assembly in a language they best understand. I remember your intervention and that of some of the leaders here who told us that you will prevail on that matter through the approach that restores the dignity of the House, but they have undermined it repeatedly. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have two responsibilities; first, to secure this Senate now and for the other Senators that will come after us. We cannot accept to hand over a Senate that is not what is expected in the Constitution. It is important that this year, they either listen to us or we do battle to the very end. That battle could mean drastic action to an extent that we will not accept any legislation from them to us. You told me that after you sought concurrence on certain Bills, The Speaker of the National Assembly did not respond and when we are processing a Bill in this Senate, he writes to you saying that the Bill is a Money Bill, after he went in excess of the seven day period for its concurrence. What else are we left with? Let us not go into history as a pioneer Senate that was based on cowardice. So, let us do battle in and out of this institution and politically. Therefore, whatever we can do drastically, we go and annul all these legislation. We must answer fire with fire. Ultimately, that is the only way we shall have respect. There is a maxim I like so much that says “power only respects power”. Until we show Speaker Muturi that we have power--- Those people think we are nothing. They think they have the power, money, resources and everything. Unless we show them that this mighty Senate is where some of these people have been patrons for some of the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}