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"content": "required standards, to ensure efficiency in the discharge of the legal implications this law will bring in place. I want to assure my colleagues, all the issues, opinions, concerns, comments and advice will be taken with the seriousness it deserves. We will see how we can incorporate most of those to ensure that when this Bill is assented to by the President and comes to full force, it will fulfill the agenda that it is meant to. On the issue of public participation, I know this House is considering the Public Participation Bill that is sponsored by one of the Members of my Committee, the Attorney-General Emeritus, Sen. Wako. You realize that the Constitution has provided for public participation in any engagement that involves the public. Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. was bringing that aspect that it is a legal-political and not a quasi-judicial matter. The reason we, as a country, have ensured that public participation informs the entire fabric of this law is because we appreciate that the people you are subjecting to them – either the President, where the National Assembly becomes the indictment chamber and the Senate becomes the trial chamber – are people who have been elected and have enjoyed universal suffrage of Kenyans. Therefore, it would be unfair if the public is not part of the process in either removing the governor, the Deputy President, the President, the Cabinet Secretary (CS), the chief executive, or the deputy governor. I agree with my colleagues that public participation has been given the necessary focus that it should be given. Maybe the Governor of Nairobi got around a million plus votes of Nairobians. Similarly, Kiambu County, where I come from, has around 200,000 votes. Therefore, for us to reduce this to a process where particular people go, sit somewhere and remove that person from office, would be unfair to that person who was elected and to the public. Therefore, the public will have a critical role to play. I know that many legal decisions that our Courts of Law have tried to devolve on have been on the critical role that is played by public participation. Therefore, I agree with my colleagues that it has a bigger challenge. Public participation is important and we will incorporate it in the process. Madam Temporary Speaker, on the issue of select committees, especially on the impeachment of the governor and deputy governor; the President and the Deputy President, we have introduced a clause which says that we might form a select committee. This committee, in some instances, may be composed of 10 people. We might play with the suggestion of having a full house, where the entire Senate of the Republic of Kenya can sit, listen to those charges and vote on them. We have used the word “might;” it, therefore, depends on the wisdom of the Speaker when ruling on such an issue when it comes to the Senate. We will, however, look at how to review that part of the select committee so that we can see what can be done. Madam Temporary Speaker, I agree that the threshold is quite high. This is because if you are trying to impeach somebody who enjoys being in elective position due to universal suffrage like the governor, the deputy governor, the President and the Deputy President, you must be very careful on how they are removed so that you do not risk court proceedings. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}