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"id": 948880,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
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"content": " Hon. Speaker, in my own consideration, the most important part of our work in Parliament is done by committees. As you have said before, when we are in plenary, it is most often a show. When we are in the committees, we do the actual work of the Assembly. We have heard about problems in committees severally. You have often pointed out that chairs of committees and vice-chairs are not in the House when they are expected to be there. This results in weak performance of this Assembly. Even when we are dealing with Bills, the most important contribution comes from the Members of the Committee during the Second Reading. As we have often noted, if these committees are not working, then the direction and guidelines that the Members of the Committee give when they are discussing these important Bills is not there. When we come to the Committee of the whole House, you notice we are often very few Members. If we do not have the report of the Committee, we are not doing much. Hon. Speaker, you and the Leader of the Majority Party have expressed this and both of you are in the Liaison Committee. I think more serious action needs to be taken not only on the chairs, but also on the Members so that we stick to the regulation that states you have to be here at least so many times. If you miss such a number of times, action is taken. This is something we have also noticed. Therefore, it probably may be wise to have our Standing Orders state that, at no time should both the chair and the vice-chair of a Committee be away. That way, we will be assured of proper leadership in committees. In my view, there is no unit of this Assembly that does as much work as a committee. Something else has also appeared. Many times, when committees make recommendations, the Committee on Implementation or the relevant ministries do not normally take them seriously. It, therefore, looks like the committees meet for no purpose or their meetings have no effect. We have occasionally heard chairs of committees saying – and I could cite an issue on the budget process - that the recommendations of committees are sometimes ignored. If we kill the committees, then Parliament will be unable to function. My view is that the Liaison Committee should take serious action so that committees are made to perform as is expected of them. That is what I wanted to express."
}