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{
    "id": 814448,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/814448/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 55,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to try and enlighten Kenyans mostly on what this Parliament is all about. I support the Statement by the Senate Majority Leader on the importance of understanding what we are doing in this country. Very often, I tend to think that many people who are in the National Assembly, do not understand what kind of Government we have in this country. It is high time that the Speaker of that House introduces a course in Political Science 101 to be able to differentiate between a presidential, parliamentary and a sort of a blended system of the two forms of government. Mr. Speaker, Sir, someone once said that if one becomes ignorant and thinks that they have the solution for everything, then they should go out there and look for an island to live. This is because when one lives in a place where there are many people, they must listen and learn. Kenyans out there ought to understand why this Senate is important. When I first came here, the first words that came out of my mouth were that this is the House that unites the entire country. We are 47 men and women who are elected by may be four or five times the number of people who elect a Member of the National Assembly. We have 18 women who were nominated. We have a man and a woman representing the youth, and a man and a woman representing people living with disabilities, so as to represent their interests. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when we talk about devolution, we talk about services going closer to the people. We want Kenyans out there to know what the National Assembly is all about. If you look at the women who are seated here, I dare say that we do a good job in thinking and trying to chart a way forward for this country. Listen to the level of debates and the content of the men and women who are seated here. We do not sit down to discuss where we should be going and how we should be protected from members of staff of this Parliament. We talk about how we will advance devolution in this country. When a Bill that touches on issues of counties is brought before this House, every man and woman, who represents the interest of their people here, stands up and contributes. I am one of those people who believe that this Constitution, although hurried, is a very good one, and if we follow it to the letter, it can help us. Kenyans out there ought to understand that Members of the Senate are also Members of Parliament. In most cases, when the Press refers to “MPs,” most people think that it is the Members of the National Assembly. It is important for even the Press to educate members of the public that Article 93 of the Constitution establishes the 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."
}