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{
    "id": 805157,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/805157/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 222,
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    "content": "expedite this process and vote for it so that county governments can allocate money for the same. The law is very clear on the issue of gifts and this is contained in the Anti- Corruption and Economic Crimes Act and the Leadership and Integrity Act. We want to put safeguards in place so that people are not given gifts like a nice car or house and land into problems. This Bill will ensure that the governor is given proper advice especially when investors come and they sweet talk the County Attorney so that they mislead the governor in some instances. There are many proposals; there is also a proposal to look into the gifts that State officers receive. I think the law has taken care of it. Finally, on the issue of leadership and integrity, my learned senior, Sen. Okong’o Omogeni, said that we do not need to reproduce it in the Second Schedule. I want to suggest that we look into that and factor all those proposals. Madam Temporary Speaker, finally the Senate is not going anywhere. All of us will be here. We might change professions; some might go back to farming, private practice or any other profession but the Senate is an institution that will outlive all of us. So anybody who in their wildest dreams and imaginations imagines that the Senate can be scrapped or sidelined - the moment you touch the Senate, you touch devolution. According to Article 96 one of the roles of the Senate is to protect the interests of counties and their governments. When you touch the Senate in any aspect, you are threatening devolution which has continued to pick momentum and made gains. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to assure the Senate Majority Leader, who was my law lecturer way back, that if there is any way we will stand up for the Senate, we will do so until the last minute. During the retreat, the hon. Speaker said this is not the time to engage in supremacy battles between the National Assembly and the Senate. We want to tell our brothers that we are not interested in supremacy battles between the Senate and the National Assembly. What is important is service delivery to Kenyans, quality legislation, playing the oversight role, the protection of the counties interests and representation. Our people did not elect us to come to the Senate or the National Assembly to discuss who should be supreme or which direction Bills should go. We are now trying to profile the Senate so that Kenyans can appreciate the good work we are doing. In September, 2018, we will go to Uasin Gishu County which is my neighbouring county whereby we will tell Kenyans that the Senate has the interests of Kenyans at heart and will ensure devolution will go a long way. I urge my colleagues in the National Assembly that they do not need to sensationalize anything, run around and try to demean Senators and frustrate the agenda of the Senate because this Constitution is there to stay with us. Finally, the reason why some of us opposed the handshake at some given point in time is because there was talk of a referendum that was going to touch on the Constitution. We want to use this Constitution until we agree that by the time we are going for a referendum, we have agreed on many issues so that we do not need to amend it day in, day out. Therefore, in the spirit of the handshake, we want to tell our brothers in the National Assembly to allow us to work together for the benefit of all of us and the country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}