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{
    "id": 901463,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/901463/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 89,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I also rise to welcome Members back to this august House and remind ourselves of our constitutional mandate. Article 96(1) of the Constitution is quite clear that we shall defend the interests of the county governments vigorously and loudly. In defence of those interests of county governments, it also requires us to defend the resource allocation. Subsection 2 of that Article clearly states that our function will be legislation. One such legislation is the Health Bill which was signed into an Act yesterday. Procedurally, it is obviously wrong because health is a fully devolved function. Those who are taking those Bills to the President for signing should also guide him. The only misgiving I have – and forgive me for saying this – is that both the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker were present when that Bill was being signed. Even if we went to court tomorrow, your presence there may render this position nugatory. So, we are left not realising what we should do. However, Mr. Speaker, Sir, you might have gone there for other businesses and found this Bill there. The best way out is to refuse because we do not know what is captured in that new Act, and yet, we represent the interest of the counties. I propose to you that this is one case where we must raise objection. I do not know which method we shall use to refuse a Bill that has now been signed into an Act of Parliament. It could be either through a court process or another method of amending what did not come through this House. Maybe the Directorate of Legal Services can advise us on the best way to rectify this process, so that it does not cause more damage and we are left eroding our own mandate through our actions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}