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    "id": 842943,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/842943/?format=api",
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    "content": "overall, I do not think they are lamenting. I had the advantage of listening over the radio as I came to the very emotive speech of Sen. Wetangula. It is only lamentation. I am at pains that every speech that is made in this House is basically lamentation. In fact, this new Constitution was giving power and authority to Parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate yet we are still lamenting. The old Constitution had provisions that Parliament consisted of the President and the National Assembly. That was removed because the Presidency was found to be a force within that structure of Government that made systems not work effectively; and more particularly Parliament. So, we ended up with a structured system that encourages separation of powers. Some people have said that, you know, there is no absolute separation of powers – that indeed, it could be a blending of powers or it may be a system of checks and balances. Be that as it may, Parliament as it is, every day that we have an opportunity to talk about the budget and budgetary allocations, we do not speak as if we are the people who hold the purse. Much can be said about the National Assembly as really absolute owner of the public purse but as the Senate, to the extent that anything that concerns counties ends up here, we are in a position to make sure that whatever we pass by way of legislation or allocation of funds is not only used the way it should but we should put our foot down to ensure that more resources go to the counties. We tried a little bit in the last financial year. This financial year, the Senate has been heard about the necessity to increase resources going to the counties. We have not all the time been successful but what I find odd about these two Chambers of Parliament is that we are without power and authority. We speak here. We lament and what has happened recently in the National Assembly which is ongoing; that even on the idea of making a budget, we cannot stand firm and truly reflect to the public that the public purse belongs to Parliament. We should come out now and say that the public purse no longer belongs to Parliament. It belongs to the Executive. There is no need pretending that you are the owners of the purse when you are dictated to, and you do things as if you do not have any power and authority. The power belongs here and the Supreme Court said that there is nothing that can be done by way of legislation or even in terms of oversight of Government that would not require the involvement of the Senate. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have tried to say this many times. That, there is a time like in this session, that Parliament needs to sit on a bipartisan basis and put its hand strongly to make sure that the wishes of the framers of the Constitution to make the counties strong and make them viable institutions are achieved. We cannot do it without sitting together and ensuring that this is what happens out there. I believe that devolution is still a project which is very far away from fruition. There is a group of us who went to Los Angeles, including the Majority Leader. There is a sense of pride when you hear Californians saying, we are the fifth largest economy in the world. They say it with a lot of pride. They fly their flag with a sense of authority and dignity. They are not concerned whether they agree with what happens in Washington. They do not kowtow to the Executive but in this country we are rolling the clock back. We may not want to say so but we are rolling the clock back in terms of 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."
}