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{
    "id": 859383,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/859383/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 286,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, DP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Gitonga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13491,
        "legal_name": "George Gitonga Murugara",
        "slug": "george-gitonga-murugara"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the Bill. This Bill is here pursuant to the provisions of Article 127 of the Constitution. The Constitution of Kenya establishes the Parliamentary Service Commission and it proceeds to set out the mode of its establishment and the functions of the Commission. The Commission is also supposed to perform any other functions prescribed by the national legislation. It is important to also emphasise that this House has enacted Acts of Parliament in respect of the other organs of the State. The House has established the Public Service Commission Act for the Executive and the Judicial Service Commission for the Judiciary. For the last eight years or so, the House has not been able to establish an Act of Parliament in respect of its own self and in consonance with Article 127 of the Constitution. It is fortunate that this House now has the task to establish an Act of Parliament that is going to govern the Parliamentary Service Commission. This is why today; we debate on the Parliamentary Service Bill that is before the House. A lot has been said out there with regard to what the House is doing. The Press has said that the House is out to enhance its perks, its salaries, give itself more benefits and everything else that goes with what they term as a greedy House. Nothing would be far from the truth with regard to this because we are required by the Constitution to pass a law such as what we are doing today. We are also required to ensure that our own institution is entrenched in a legal statute, in an Act of Parliament. We cannot escape this even if we went whichever way; we have to enact this law. It is my view that we should not shy away, we should not show remorse, and we should not regret that we are doing this. We are required to do this by the law and we must therefore do it. The Parliamentary Service Commission is not for 12th Parliament, it is a commission that has regulated Houses previously. It will continue to do so until such a time that either the Constitution changes or it will be there for eternity. Therefore we have to entrench this Commission in law. What does the Act entail? The Act entails what the Parliamentary Service Commission will be in terms of its establishment, its staff, functions and what it is supposed to do. Under Article 127 (6)(a), the first function of the Commission is to provide services and facilities to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of Parliament. The Parliament consists of the National Assembly and the Senate. It also includes the staff members who work under it. Therefore, the Constitution promulgated by the people of Kenya makes a provision that will be a Parliamentary Service Commission. The people of Kenya considered this particular provision, found it good, included it in the Constitution and passed it. Today, we cannot turn around and say, it is a bad provision. It is a provision that was passed and approved by the people of Kenya and whatever it provides is good for them. It is for that reason that I want to say, the Bill we are debating today has contents or provisions which provide what facilities and services the Parliamentary Service Commission will lender to MPs and staff. It also has provisions relating to other functions which are set out in the Constitution that have been approved by the people of Kenya. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}