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{
    "id": 757266,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/757266/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 50,
    "type": "other",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Other entities that are not democratically elected, for example, the Judiciary, the independent offices, the Public Service Commission (PSC) and so many organs exercise donated power which is delegated by the people. In the first instance, democracy and democratic elections are important in procuring the right people that will represent the interests of the people. That is why this side of the House is full today because these people were democratically elected by the people of Kenya and in their majority given the power to come and represent them in this House. That is why we have 39 Senators on this side and our colleagues on the other side have 28 Senators. It is not by accident, therefore, that the people of Kenya said that at this point in time, they would elect a coalition of parties or a party in the minority side that would represent their interests. When the people conducted the elections as they did in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Tharaka-Nithi County, Kericho County or any other county, including Lamu County represented by Sen. Loitiptip, they sent their representatives with very clear message knowing that Article 96, that deals with matters of devolution, representation of the people and oversight of county assembly is very important. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as you will realize, on this side of the divide, we do our job in over-sighting county governments robustly. I am sure that in one way or another, you have rubbed shoulders with Senators and the Senate in that very robust responsibility. We take this responsibility of the people seriously. I would like to commend the President on his speech yesterday because it was like he was taking us back to the foundations of our constitution, that it is the people that are important. It is that democratic process of election that is important. It is that ballot paper that is casted by that old grandmother in Turkana - who perhaps does not have the benefit of going to any school - that is important. It is that ballot that is casted by that person in Mandera that made the decision. Other countries do not have the benefit that we do as a nation; to spend Kshs30 billion that we used last time and another Kshs15 billion that we will use to achieve this very important process. Nevertheless, even where they use a plain paper or where they use a paper that has no security features, that intention of that voter, that democratic right, that sovereignty being exercised by that voter is so key that other institutions that were alluded to by the President yesterday that exercise delegated responsibility as State organs just like Parliament, the County Assembly, Judiciary or the Executive, must recognize that when the mandate is given by the people, this is what they mean and this is what they need. That is why some of us have a quarrel with the decision of the Judiciary. That is why I have a quarrel with the decision of the Judiciary. We are not allowed to discuss the conduct of any judge as a House. However, we can expose and discuss any decision that has been rendered and made public as we have done so many times here. When certain decisions are made, like the one made by the Supreme Court that led to the nullification of the sovereign power of the people – the sovereignty exercised directly by the people through the ballot – which rarely happens because the people only get a chance to exercise this sovereign power either at the ballot when they are electing us or when we have a referendum, which we are yet to have under this new Constitution. We had a referendum before and it gave birth to this Constitution."
}