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{
    "id": 895012,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/895012/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "There are also issues related to procurement in the counties which this House must deal with. If we deal with some of these issues, by and large, our counties will be centres of growth and development. The President also talked about the importance of Parliament and the number of Bills we have passed in a short period of time that we have been in session. We have passed 22 Bill since the beginning of the Twelfth Parliament. He also encouraged us to complete some of the Bills that are in mediation; including the Land Value Index Bill, the Physical Planning Bill, the Irrigation Bill, the Warehouse Receipt System Bill and the Kenya Roads Bill. These five Bill are currently under mediation. We have asked the persons who have been appointed to the mediations committees to work expeditiously so that these Bill are concluded. The President also appreciated Parliament for passing the National Housing Policy and the National Policy on Climate Financing were approved by Parliament. However, I must admit that I have not seen the two policies. It is possible that the National Assembly approved them without being brought to the Senate. If that is the case, I have asked the clerks to assist me find out the exact situation of these policies, so that they are brought to this House. Housing or climate related policies cannot be passed without the involvement of the Senate. We, as a House, still suffer the problems related to Article 110 of the Constitution about the movement of Bills from the National Assembly to the Senate. Senators here know that there are many Bills that have been passed that are related to the issues of wildlife. All the amendments in the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill were passed by the National Assembly without resorting to the Senate. Madam Temporary Speaker, I will be seeking the support of the Senate Minority Leader for us to engage the leadership of the National Assembly. It is also important to correct that anomaly by ensuring that sections of law that were passed without appreciation and involvement of the Senate are declared unconstitutional and a proper begins be initiated to ensure the right procedure is followed. Those laws must be brought to this House. We must gather the courage that was there in the first Senate; the courage that led us to the Supreme Court to get an advisory opinion that made it possible for this House to get the number of Bills that we are debating at the moment. Had we not become courageous enough, the National Assembly would have wound up this House. Since the courage of founding sisters and brothers led us to where we are and some of us are still here, if we can surmount another level of courage even if it is small like the size of mustard seed, we will correct the problems we face with the National Assembly, particularly when it comes to the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. This is an omnibus Bill which is used to carry so many amendments that are related to devolution and hiding behind two or three amendments that are not necessarily brought to the Senate. In any case, the Constitution is very clear that there must be concurrence of the Speaker of the Senate. I can say authoritatively that there was no concurrence of the Speaker of the Senate. That is something that we must deal with. On the economy, His Excellency the President said that our economy has grown at an average of 5.6 per cent in the past five years. He added that it has been driven mostly by retail trade, real estate, information and communication technology and The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}