{"id":806233,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/806233/?format=json","text_counter":296,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Olekina","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":407,"legal_name":"Ledama Olekina","slug":"ledama-olekina"},"content":"We will also take all the Maasais who are in Narok there. It will enable us to discuss and agree on where we will hold the Session next. Madam Temporary Speaker, understanding laws is very important. It is very sad that this House does not have original jurisdiction on legislation. Sometimes it takes the public to lobby the Members of the National Assembly to ensure that when legislations are passed here and taken to the National Assembly, it behoves them to move expeditiously to ensure that they pass those laws, so that they can become Acts of Parliament. Public participation is also very important. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is important for the people of this country to participate in the law making process. Most of the time when we are carrying out public participation sessions, only one or two people appear. It is because they do not know that they can go, attend a sitting of Parliament and share their views. I tend to believe that the day we will invest our resources in building public participation halls across this country is the day we will utilize public resources effectively. Going to Uasin Gishu County will be an eye-opener not only for us, but also for the entire country. I hope that we will continue broadcasting to show the entire country that the sittings of the Senate cannot only be held in Nairobi, but also in mashinani . Madam Temporary Speaker, Sir, in the last Parliament, there are some county assemblies that were holding their sessions across the county. That is something which we would like to encourage. When these county governments see that we have moved the entire Senate secretariat, Senators and the Senate office to Uasin Gishu County, they will know how serious we are. I pride myself with having travelled across the whole country. I know very few of us here have been to Uasin Gishu County. This will not only give them an opportunity to enjoy the good mursik of Uasin Gishu County, but also give them an opportunity to widen devolution in the right sense. When they go there, they could get investment opportunities in that county. We have various discussions on how we can maintain our cultures and this will be an opportunity to interact with the people of Uasin Gishu County. They will know that even after the 2007 Post-Election Violence, people still came together. This is because in Uasin Gishu County, it is not only one ethnic group that exists. However, sometimes, people might think that because the Senator or Governor from that region is from one community, the people come from one community. We should show the diversity that exists in this country and how we are embracing it. The way we are embracing diversity should be the same way we should embrace devolution. 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"}