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{
    "id": 680050,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/680050/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 79,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sang",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 907,
        "legal_name": "Stephen Kipyego Sang",
        "slug": "stephen-kipyego-sang"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this very important Motion. The role of the Senate as captured in the Constitution is to protect devolution and to serve the interests of counties. It is sad that today, whereas any other responsibility given to this House in terms of legislation and oversight has been challenged, nobody has challenged the responsibility of this House in ensuring that counties have resources. This is one of those responsibilities that everybody in the country appreciates. It is unfortunate that when we are faced with this specific mandate, we start raising sideshows. It is saddening to hear that certain Members of this House have failed to avail themselves to pass this important responsibility of ensuring that our counties get the necessary resources. I did not come to the Senate this morning because I was invited by the Senator for Tharaka-Nithi. In fact, I did not receive an SMS from him and neither was I consulted about this Special Sitting. I came here because of the Gazette Notice from the Speaker. We, as leaders, must be serious. If we support devolution, how else do we show our support if we can avoid such an important sitting? I want to be on record as having said that Kenyans will know the leaders in this House who support devolution and those who do not. On several occasions, we have had issues and differences but none of those differences have stood in the way between us and serving our counties. It pains you when you go to the counties and realize that the governors and the Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) are complaining. The staff are unable to get their salaries while some of the contractors who have done work in our counties have not been paid. We now have an opportunity to pass this Schedule that will allow counties to move on. Instead of doing that, we are giving excuses of having not been consulted. This takes us back to where we were five years ago when we had the nusu mkate Government. Somebody would keep on saying that he was not consulted and that portfolio balance was not achieved on every other decision that was made. As a Senate, we cannot go back there. The Speaker gazetted the date for this sitting and we came here as Senators. I want to encourage my fellow colleagues who I believe are watching the proceedings of this House somewhere, it will be such a sad day if we will adjourn having not passed this Schedule. I want to persuade my brothers that I am here because I am the Senator for Nandi County. If the Senator for Tharaka-Nithi or the Senator for Bungoma are not comfortable with this, I am here in my own capacity as the Senator for Nandi 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"
}