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{
    "id": 764144,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/764144/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 157,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all I respect the decision of the minority side not to participate in Committees yet. Yesterday when the Speaker issued the order that we must constitute Committees by 20th November, 2017, I made it clear that the Majority side is ready. We are just being magnanimous to wait for our colleagues to be ready. There is a letter that came from the NASA coalition that is signed by one Norman Magaya. It came to the Senate Business Committee (SBC) yesterday. That letter requested for postponement of making of Committees and participation of NASA up to 31st November. First of all, 31st November, does not exist but pursuant to that letter, the Speaker requested that the postponement be reduced to 20th. Secondly, there is a letter also that came to the Speaker from Sen. Wetangula, appointing himself the Minority Leader. The procedure for appointing the leadership of both sides of the House in the Eleventh and Twelfth Parliament is clear. There are minutes that come from the party. The party holds their Parliamentary Group (PG), appoints their leadership and sends the names to the House. The Majority side did so; they held their PG, appointed their leadership and sent communication to the Speaker. It is only in the Minority side that Sen. Wetangula appointed himself. Be that as it may, the Speaker wrote back for a clear procedure to be followed. Since then, I can say without fear of contradiction that there is no leadership on the Minority side. If that position is in doubt, the Speaker should issue a ruling next week on that matter so that we are clear in our minds that there is no Minority leadership in this House. I consulted the Speaker. That being the case, what should I do? Since there is no leadership in the Minority side, I had to be pragmatic in the sense that this House has traditions. In the past, we have had Committees that are established by Senators to come up with a Motion and prepare a Bill. Those Committees do not require consultation of the Majority or Minority leadership. It is based on that tradition and the provision that I created this ad hoc Committee; pursuant to that tradition by consulting individual Senators. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I can confirm that I called Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. who accepted. I called Sen. Kajwang who accepted. I called Sen. Pareno who accepted. I did not find Sen. Khaniri because in his efforts to resist, he had migrated to a network that is barely reachable. However, when I arrived here I also talked to Sen. Khaniri. The reason why I put Sen. Khaniri in the list is that he is the one who came up with a question in this House as to why the money has not reached the counties. That question was read here. I concluded that he was so interested in the money allocated to Vihiga to reach the Vihiga County Government to assist in operation of the county, for instance the staff and hospitals, to the extent that I felt that even if I did not reach him, it was only the most reasonable thing being the only Senator in this House who thought to bring a question in regard of the same issue to be put there. I did it with a lot of pride because I know his commitment to devolution."
}