Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 639851,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/639851/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 410,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "have also faced a number of challenges in the counties where some people wanted to challenge their offices on account that they are not provided for in the Act. Therefore, the first amendment in this Act is the amendment of Section 7 of the County Governments Act and creating the office of the deputy speaker for each county assembly who shall be elected in accordance with the Standing Orders from among the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs). Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is an important process because there might come another time in future that someone may go to court to challenge the existence of the office of the deputy speaker. Therefore, for avoidance of doubt, we thought that it is important to organize this office of the deputy speaker and recognize it in law. You will realize that as a result of this provision, I have suggested another amendment to the Intergovernmental Relations Act so that there is a caucus that captures the offices of the deputy speakers and governors so that they can have national recognitions and not according to the various Standing Orders of counties. County assemblies are very important although many people take them for granted. County assemblies are the place where we can make or break the county government. I go to social places and I have heard people say that the MCAs are useless people and those county assemblies should not exist. There are few MCAs across the country who have given that office a bad image because they have refused to be servants of the people at the county. They have refused to recognise the importance of their offices in the counties and what it means for the development of our counties yet we are here presiding over an institution that oversights these counties. So, it is important that they have a strong office of deputy speaker that can deputize the speaker when is there and when he is not presiding over the House and ensure that it is running. In some places, because of educational challenges - when we went to some counties, we were told of a story of people saying in another county, “let us just talk without following the Standing Orders because people get tired.” If you get one educated person who is clever, sharp and alert like Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale and raise a point of order, they wonder under what Standing Order you are raising that point of order. So, many of them get confused because they did not go through the necessary orientation or they have no capacity of appreciating the Standing Orders. One of them just stood and said, “Madam Speaker, can we just talk without this thing called Standing Orders?” Therefore, we need an institution of the deputy speaker that is recognised by law so that the position can inform the manner in which the House is being run. It should be recognised nationally. There might come a time when someone will go to court to challenge the existence of that office. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the second amendment is in relation to the removal of the deputy speaker. The deputy speaker should not feel like he or she cannot be removed. The procedures that are provided for in Section 11 of the principal Act, the County Governments Act - we want to insert and recognise, just like in the deputy governor’s situation that a deputy speaker can be removed in the same manner that a 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"
}