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{
    "id": 772632,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/772632/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 67,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "experts in their own rights and we know that they will drive the business of the House in a very honourable manner. We look forward to having a very good agenda this Session because we have lost a little bit of time before we went for recess. Further, I take this opportunity to welcome all my colleagues back to the House and wish them well even as they interact not only here but with the constituents because the real business is now starting. Going forward, there is one item that was mentioned by the Senate Majority Leader, that we need to start asking ourselves how our oversight role is being handled. One of the urgent agendas we must deal with is how, as the Senate, we deal with oversight. Facilitation of oversight is something that begins from creating a Senate and paying the salaries. If you pay the salaries of Senators and not enable them to actually do the work that you have employed them for, then we will have a problem as a country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I enjoyed the recess and I was able to mobilize staff in my office to participate in what we call public participation for the County Development Plan (CDP). It was exciting to be part of this exercise for the public in particular. The presence of my staff in any of the meetings receives a lot of positive response and they said: “Now we know that there is somebody watching over what is going to take place.” The main reason I decided to participate and to have all my staff spread out in the whole county was to ensure that we know what the people of Uasin Gishu County want. This is so that when we do the follow-up and the oversight we already know and would have participated in their priorities. This is extremely important but after all the excitement and all the reports that came from the various corners of the county, I ask myself: “What capacity do my staffers have or do I have to move around and ensure that this is done?” Mr. Speaker, Sir, we look forward to seeing you take up leadership in shaping the second Senate and making it the House that will ensure that the county development programmes and financing yield the fruits that Kenyans want. We chose a devolved government with the intention of reaching the people in the grassroots with development. The only people who will ensure that whatever revenue has been allocated to the counties is spent according to the priorities of the people is the Senate. I urge all of us to work together to ensure that we fulfill what we have been employed to do. I would like to join colleagues who have spoken earlier that we must stand and be counted as a united Senate. It is very important to remain united and to move together so that this country enjoys the fruits of devolution. We are one country, as somebody has mentioned, and we cannot add an inch to the borders of this nation. I was privileged to be a Member of the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) and during those days, I learnt to be a proper Kenyan. This is because I realized that negative perception is a disaster. If we are perceived negatively, everybody believes that a Kenyan is different from them. In fact, in some instances, we were not receiving positive reception as Kenyans. I want to urge my colleagues that the move that we took to have a devolved Government and to have this “Upper House”is very important and we must show ourselves as a united force. I do believe that this is the “Upper House”. Finally, we have observed some panic. There are people who believe that the Jubilee Members of Parliament seem to be over-connected with the Executive. This fear is uncalled for. This is because in all democracies, there are Bills that are called “Government Bills”. Government Bills are not tabled by the Executive; they are tabled by the legislative team that belongs to the Government. Our colleagues should not panic"
}