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{
    "id": 982209,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/982209/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 79,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": "In case the Senate Majority Leader forgot, even when we were first assembled and convened, the premises where we were taken was a garage somewhere in the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). In terms of office space, it took a lot of time for Senators to get facilities and officers. Even now, I do not think we have full facilities to work as a legislature. This goes across to the entire Parliament. There is a provision in the Constitution that requires Members of Parliament to be facilitated to make sure that they can do their work. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the United States of America (USA), there is consideration of membership in the House of Representatives and the Senate as nearly a full time occupation. To that extent, when they look at those responsibilities and what Senators and Members of the House of Representatives are required to do, it is in a sense at the level that makes them do the work more effectively. I agree that as a Senate we must find a way of coming together and fighting this battle. I want to assure the Senate Majority Leader that it can be won. Even when the Executive at one time did not want to have a legislative framework and give financial allocation to the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), for example, the National Assembly stood very firm. They said without consideration of the CDF, no legislation would be passed including the budget. In the history of Parliament, there have been constant battles to make Parliament what it should be. There was a time when nearly all the committees of Parliament were abolished and it took another battle to make sure that the committee system was restored. Mr. Speaker, Sir, therefore, I am prepared on this one to ensure we are all together without exception. It involves fighting other institutions of Government. The Executive is not going to just agree. They want a simple way to do things and to pass them without opposition and scrutiny. I have lived through a one party system. Sometimes, we are more robust. We scrutinise Government business and look at budgets effectively although some people suffer for it. However, for this particular Senate, hardly any legislation that we pass goes anywhere at all. That is a bad deal for the people of Kenya who thought that we should have a Senate."
}