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{
    "id": 798475,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/798475/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 46,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13119,
        "legal_name": "Agnes Zani",
        "slug": "agnes-zani"
    },
    "content": "Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir. The 11th and 12th Parliaments found themselves in a Presidential system and that has created problems. As you have said, had it been the Cabinet Secretary (CS) answering the questions, they would know the intricacies of the issues and even answer ad hoc questions. It has been clumsy and unfortunate when Members or Chairpersons have to answer questions on behalf of the CS’s. They sometimes even answer questions on behalf of the CS from the opposite side. We definitely have a problem. In the 11th Parliament we tried to solve this many times by having the CS come to the Committee of the Whole, especially when we had so many questions relating to a particular Ministry. That gave the House a good opportunity to oversight. To add to what Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. has said, we could have those sessions televised, so that we ease the workload. We also mentioned the importance of Committee Chairpersons allocating responsibilities to some of the Members of their Committee, so that they can give some of the specific answers. I do not know what will be the decision of the Liaison Committee, but we have to wait to see the direction that they will go. However, I think that it is important to have a balance in all that. I know that the National Assembly decided that Statements will be handled by the Committees. If we do that, we will lose a very important role of the Senate because the Senate stands for the interests of the counties and there are certain issues that happen within the counties that have to be discussed through Statements. When that is discussed here, it gives us the representative role. I hope that we will not go the direction of the National Assembly. However, we also have to find a way to balance the number of Statements and the way they are given in this House. This is because we seem to be getting lost along the way in terms of strength, effort and energy that is put into getting the answers, including the way they are given on the Floor of the House and the questions that come after that. As the Liaison Committee meets, let us ensure that we have a balance. Right now, bigger discourse within the country is whether we will remain Presidential or go Parliamentary. However, we have definitely lost a very important aspect of having the CS’s in the House for them to answer questions.We must find a way of holding them accountable and this House can do that better than any other institution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}