Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 700854,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/700854/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 366,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "yet we are compared with governors. You are elected by the same pool, you are equally influential politically but resource wise and institutional-wise, you have nothing. You do not have legs - leave alone that statue we talk about in the Bible. It must have been king Nebuchadnezzar or someone who saw a statue with parts of clay, bronze and gold. A Senator has feet of clay, if they have any at all! The governor has a staff establishment of a thousand and above people. In fact, a thousand people plus several hundred ghost workers supporting him and his projects, yet, you were elected in the same manner. As we go on recess, I wish to urge the relevant committee that was following up the matter of the Senate Monitoring and evaluation Fund to give us the status. This is so that we can decide that in the remaining eight or six months, we are going to sell a family cow to move around the county, engage with the electorate and support fundraisers and funerals or we know that we are going to get a fund which we are going to use to effectively engage the electorate out there. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as I summarize my contribution with regard to lack of resources, structures and the absence of an institutional framework, it is obvious that Members of this institution have reduced us to an unnecessary irritant in the body politic of this nation. Yesterday, there was a summit on corruption, integrity and transparency at State House. The Speaker and the Majority Leader of the National Assembly were very prominent. I do not know whether the Speaker of the Senate was present. The Leader of Majority in the National Assembly was very prominent. I do not know whether you were present, invited or equally prominent and yet corruption is not an issue of legislation. Corruption is an issue of values. It is an issue of morals. It transcends the technical, transcends that hardware and goes into software. Which body is best placed to talk about the soft issues in this country more than this Senate? Which body has the right examples that can act as a light to the rest of the nation on issues of integrity and transparency if it is not this Senate? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, a serious government would make the Senate a strong partner in the fight against corruption, transparency and accountability in state corporations. This Senate is only as powerful as its membership wants it to be. I have seen situations where two people with the same job description; one person becomes very visible and over bearing while the other remains dull and flat. I want to urge Members of this House that we assert ourselves, let us define our job description because it is not too late. Let us not all run to become governors. I fear that if half of the Senators become governors, they are going to kill this Senate because they will not want to be over-sighted. There are half of us who want to go there to do a good job but there is another quarter that is going there because they are jealous that the governors are making too much money. There are those also who are going there knowing that a governor is a demigod in this country. The Senate will not oversight them effectively and the county assembly will not oversight them effectively. I want to appeal to my colleagues who are seeking higher office - I do not know whether the governorship is a higher office than the institution of Senator – but those who are seeking the office of a governor, let us do it for the right reasons. When we get there, let us not kill this Senate. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, going forward, we must take a decision. If the Senate represents, defends and protects the interests of the counties, should it not be 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"
}