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{
    "id": 673033,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/673033/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 549,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as a House, we finally have a negotiated Health Bill with certain amendments that we must deal with tomorrow in the Committee of the Whole and we must do this expeditiously so that we can take care of the interests of our people. We have Bills like The Forest Conservation and Management Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 49 of 2015), that we must make forest management and conservation a function that is shared between the national and county government as the Constitution provides. The role of the Kenya Forests Service (KFS) and all those institutions that are supposed to partner with county governments must be clearly provided for as it is in this Bill. Therefore, despite the fact that we should be sitting in our committees which is very important, we request Members that we pass this Motion. Let us forego the interest having a House sitting tomorrow in the morning instead of committees, so that we expeditiously complete this business. If we put a lot of effort in our normal calendar, we can always dispose of these Bills in good time. It is a matter that we need to take seriously going forward, so that we process all the Bills. There was a time when many people used to say that the Senate is an idle place and there is no business to be done. You can imagine how we have too much work to the extent that we are even forcing ourselves to sit tomorrow morning. The difference between us and the “Lower House” is the fact that you cannot pass any Bill--- This is something that I realised many public officers and citizens of this country do not know. We are the only House that needs more than 50 per cent of its membership to be able to pass anything that concerns counties and anything that concerns counties includes all Bills that must come to the Senate. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is akin to saying that for the National Assembly to pass any Bill, there must be 175 Members present at any given time. If the same provision was to apply to the “Lower House,” there would be no single Bill that would have passed in the “Lower House” because it is very difficult for them to get 175 Members at any given time, yet some people try to belittle the constitutional responsibility of this House on account that we are slow in passing Bills. We do not just come here to shout “Aye! Aye!” We are a House that must count every single head to ensure that we have 24 delegations before we pass any Motion. The ignorance of members of the public, Members of the “Lower House”, any person who serves in the Executive or the Judiciary or whatever sector, is not an excuse. They must read the Constitution and understand that the people of Kenya wanted quality Bills to be passed and the only way to do that is to ensure that you have a majority in the House to do that but not a majority of those sitting. Despite the fact that the quorum of this House is 15 Members, we still need more than 24 people to pass a Bill. The world must appreciate and understand that this House is not an easy place to sit but a place of negotiation. The other thing which I like about this House is the fact that nothing just passes here. You always have to walk across the House to convince someone and tell them that this is something we can do together. Sometimes when you are sitting on this side, being the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, my eyes are always around Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. and the Senate Minority Leader. I sometimes wonder what they 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"
}