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{
    "id": 768953,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/768953/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 59,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wako",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 366,
        "legal_name": "Amos Sitswila Wako",
        "slug": "amos-wako"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to support this Motion. However, I would also like to say that it should have been foreseen. I remember, when we discussed the programme, I had a quiet consultation with the Senate Majority Leader and told him that in view of what was happening, we may have to stay longer than the date that we had envisaged as the date of adjournment. I had in mind precisely the reasons that have been given for amending our adjournment date from 8th to 15th December. I foresaw that we would need to elect Members to the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA), a very important matter. Unfortunately, on two occasions Kenya has delayed the EALA from beginning its work. All the other counties had their Members ready, they went to Arusha to be inaugurated but they could not be inaugurated because Kenya had not submitted her list of Members. As the Senate Majority Leader said, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) games are going on in Dar-es-Salaam but there is no team from EALA and there ought to be a team from EALA. So, Kenya has not played very well on this one. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I remember that the in the elections of the former Members we had some problems and we had to amend the Treaty to accommodate Kenya to ensure that our membership is accepted. We were challenged that the way we had elected our Members had not been constitutional. In a sense, we agreed but we had to amend the East African Community Treaty and we had to redo it to ensure that everything complies not only with our Constitution but also with the Treaty of the East African Community. I remember this very clearly because I was involved. The reasons given are very good. My prayer is that we should have foreseen this. Under the new Constitution, Parliament controls its own calendar. Under the old Constitution, the calendar of Parliament was controlled by the President. He is the one who could adjourn and prolong Parliament. It was all in the hands of the President. Therefore, we should not give the impression under the new Constitution that somehow we have to go to State House to discuss this matter then come to have this Motion. We ought to have foreseen this when we were discussing a similar Motion at the beginning of this term. Whereas I support, I would like to plead to the leadership of the House to be a little bit more consultative in fixing the dates and the calendars of the Senate so that we do not have to come back to amend the calendar that we have already passed as if we do not know what we are doing. I support and hope that by the extended date, we should have formed our Committees so that when we come back in January, we hit the ground running. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}