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{
    "id": 628131,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/628131/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 13,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the point raised goes to the very reports of how we process public concerns addressed to us. I will refer to Standing Order No.219. This is very serious and important. This is about the meaning of a ‘petition’. Standing Order No. 219: Meaning of petition “For purposes of this Part, a petition means a written prayer to the Senate under Article 37 or 119 of the Constitution by a member of the public requesting the Senate to consider any matter within its authority as contemplated in Articles 94 and 96 of the Constitution, including enacting, amending or repealing any legislation.” Standing Order No.220: Submission of a Petition (1) A petition to the Senate shall be— (a) submitted to the Clerk by the petitioner and reported to the Senate by the Speaker; or (b) presented by a Senator on behalf of a petitioner, with the consent of the Speaker. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(b), a Senator shall not be eligible to present a petition on his or her own behalf.” That does not apply. “(3) The Clerk shall, within seven days of the date of receipt of a petition, review the petition to ascertain whether the petition meets the requirements of these Standing Orders and of the law.” Not edit! Review! “(4) Where the Clerk considers that a petition does not comply with paragraph (3), the Clerk may give such directions as are necessary to ensure that the petition is amended to comply with that paragraph.” Therefore, the amendment of the Petition is on the direction of the Clerk to the petitioner to amend to fit what the Senate will require; not the Office of the Clerk to edit and/or amend, trim, reduce or add any material particulars to the Petition. (5) “The Clerk shall, if satisfied that the petition meets the requirements under paragraph (3), forward the petition to the Speaker for tabling in the Senate.” I have had the privilege of seeing the original Petition from Vihiga County. I have equally been privileged to see the abridged version. It has been heavily edited to the extent that it has lost meaning. It has now been handed over to the distinguished Senator to present to the Senate. My opinion is to urge you to rule that the abridged version being presented is not the Petition from the people of Vihiga. It is not the Senator’s Petition. The Senator is a conduit. He is a conveyer belt and an agent. An agent cannot amend the views of the principal. He brings it here as it is, as it was intended to be. I implore the Chair to direct that: The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}