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{
    "id": 990600,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/990600/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 160,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The Leader of the Majority Party has raised a matter that is fundamental and that goes to the core of democracy in this country. I agree it is really a shock that, that is what transpired in the Senate. If the Hansard has captured the same, then it is a very sad moment. There is no way the people of Homa Bay will have their votes cast by a Senator from Kakamega. That cannot happen. If at all the Senator for Kakamega voted on behalf of the people of Homa Bay, it is unconstitutional, undemocratic and unrepresentative. But my concern is with where this matter is raised. With all due respect to the Leader of the Majority Party, the procedure of enacting laws in this country is very clear in our Constitution. The Constitution says that where the two Houses approve different versions of a Bill, then that Bill goes to mediation. In the process of mediation, we have equal representation of both the National Assembly and the Senate, and the mediation committee agrees on a mediated version of the Bill. That mediated version is introduced in both Houses simultaneously and dealt with simultaneously. So, even if the Senate has not followed the correct procedure to deal with the mediated version of the Bill, the National Assembly is blind to that fact, in my view. We have to deal with the mediated versions of the Bills as the Senate also deals with them. If they have passed it through whichever method, flawed or otherwise, that is their business. It is our business to pass it procedurally in the National Assembly. It will be upon the people of Kenya, and the Leader of the Majority Party is one of the people of Kenya, to challenge the process in the Senate. But I find it a bit inappropriate for us in the National Assembly to stop discussion on a mediated version of a Bill. What we expect is the report from our representatives in the Mediation Committee. The Chair or the Vice-Chair or whoever was leading the Members of the National Assembly in the Mediation Committee should report to us what they agreed on and we deal with it procedurally as a House that respects the rules and procedures. Let the Senate that does not respect the rules and procedures deal with it procedurally. For us, as a House, I just want to put it on record that there is nothing that would stop us from discussing the mediated versions of these two Bills. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I rest my case."
}