{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=150257","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=150255","results":[{"id":1520752,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520752/?format=json","text_counter":32,"type":"heading","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"FAILURE BY THE CABINET SECRETARY FOR WATER, SANITATION AND IRRIGATION TO APPEAR BEFORE THE SENATE"},{"id":1520753,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520753/?format=json","text_counter":33,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Cheruiyot","speaker_title":"The Senate Majority Leader","speaker":{"id":13165,"legal_name":"Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot","slug":"aaron-cheruiyot"},"content":" Sorry, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I beg for your indulgence so that we can dispense this letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Hon. (Eng.) Eric Muriithi Mugaa. I agree with you that The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1520754,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520754/?format=json","text_counter":34,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Cheruiyot","speaker_title":"The Senate Majority Leader","speaker":{"id":13165,"legal_name":"Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot","slug":"aaron-cheruiyot"},"content":"what the Cabinet Secretary is saying is important. However, coming here is equally as important. You know for a fact that a President's visit is not a thunderstorm that appears out of the blue. It is something that is planned weeks in advance, and the Cabinet Secretary was aware; he knew that he was supposed to be here today. Therefore, on all other accounts of things that we have raised in the past, it is the Cabinet Secretary who should respond, and he has done so. That it should be in writing and not a Short Message Service (SMS) to the Speaker, and that is done. However, this Cabinet Secretary is violating a cardinal principle. He is supposed to issue notice to the Senate at least seven days before the date of appearance. That is why we, as a House, do not ambush anybody. We write to you seven days prior to your appearance. Therefore, I want to request that you direct the Secretariat to send a response to the Minister stating that this is not acceptable. The President's visit was not impromptu; it was long planned, and therefore, he should have been diligent enough to respond early in advance. Why am I insisting on this? If we had this letter when we sat at the Senate Business Committee last week and scheduled these questions, we would have known that the Cabinet Secretary would not be here and, therefore, would have gone to invite another Cabinet Secretary. Therefore, on behalf of the House, this is still not acceptable. The Secretariat must respond to him and let him know. Perhaps it will be issued with a last warning before we can proceed to do that which the powers and privilege provide us to do, that you cannot write a letter to an institution barely hours before your appearance and expect that that institution will find that acceptable. It is not. I thank you."},{"id":1520755,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520755/?format=json","text_counter":35,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Kathuri","speaker_title":"The Deputy Speaker","speaker":{"id":13590,"legal_name":"Murungi Kathuri","slug":"murungi-kathuri"},"content":" Senate Leader of the Majority, I do not want us to open this debate because it is somewhat reasonable that he has not appeared. However, I said anytime he is around this city, he should appear before the Senate to answer his questions. Hon. Senators, this gentleman is a first offender. This is the first invitation. I am aware of this, and we should be lenient with the Cabinet Secretary and encourage him to do what the Senate Majority Leader has requested him to do. So, because of the respect that we have even with the Gen-Zs, I do not want us to open that debate. I will allow only one leader from the minority side in order to balance."},{"id":1520756,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520756/?format=json","text_counter":36,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Loud consultations)"},{"id":1520757,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520757/?format=json","text_counter":37,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Kathuri","speaker_title":"The Deputy Speaker","speaker":{"id":13590,"legal_name":"Murungi Kathuri","slug":"murungi-kathuri"},"content":"Agree between the Senate Minority Leader or the Senate Minority Whip to balance. Hon. Senators, it is important to give the Chair time to guide the House and that is the spirit. Yes, Sen. Sifuna."},{"id":1520758,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520758/?format=json","text_counter":38,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the leaders on our side for handing this responsibility to me. I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Health is here and Sen. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1520759,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520759/?format=json","text_counter":39,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"Wambua is one of the people with questions for her. I am sure he will get an opportunity to say what he wants to. I was holding brief for the Senator for Migori who had a question to the Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, regarding the Lower Kuja Irrigation Development Project. I have never seen that Cabinet Secretary and I do not know how he looks like. If we met in the streets, I would not know who he is. I do not even know his name. I was looking forward to seeing his face. Senate Majority Leader, I think there should be an induction of new Cabinet Secretaries. Sen. Cheruiyot, part of the problem why your Government is struggling and the President himself has said it---"},{"id":1520760,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520760/?format=json","text_counter":40,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Sen. Cheruiyot spoke off record)"},{"id":1520761,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520761/?format=json","text_counter":41,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President has said it himself that he struggles being the only person communicating the Government policy. It is true because who is this person who holds the water docket? I do not know him. Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, if that gentleman walked in--- Maybe he is even present in this House but nobody knows. We were just asking ourselves here amongst the minority leadership whether it is a man or a woman. Nobody knows. We are disappointed and we always record our disappointment. If we have to understand the Government policy, we need these Cabinet Secretaries to interact with us. Yesterday, I ran into the former Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, hon. David Chirchir. He is one of the most astute and few Cabinet Secretaries that I respect because he interacts with Members of this House and explains the Government policy. If he was still in that docket, I am sure the drama you are seeing of Nairobi City County Government dumping garbage outside the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) offices and KPLC retaliating by cutting power to the county government offices would not be there because he would take leadership. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the relationship between the national and county governments is supposed to be cordial. If a Cabinet Secretary sees a fight in their docket but does nothing at all and only talks about 2027 politics, then they have failed in their position. We want the gentleman to at least appear here. Let him not fear this House. We want to be his friends, at least from the minority side. We confirm that we mean well. We want to have a discussion with him about the water projects. Let him not shy away. Let him be trained that if there is going to be an event that takes him away from the capital, he should communicate early, as the Senate Majority Leader said."}]}