{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=153496","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=153494","results":[{"id":1553142,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553142/?format=json","text_counter":129,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Kathuri","speaker_title":"The Deputy Speaker","speaker":{"id":13590,"legal_name":"Murungi Kathuri","slug":"murungi-kathuri"},"content":"Sen. Edwin Sifuna, proceed."},{"id":1553143,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553143/?format=json","text_counter":130,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I joined the debate midway as I was attending a funeral service. However, I have caught some of the sentiments expressed earlier and the statement brought by the Senator for Isiolo County. Some of the things happening in our counties are infuriating. It is impossible to believe that some county governors are running these institutions as if they were personal fiefdoms. I personally encountered the situation in Nyamira that the Senator has spoken about, and I almost lost my mind. I could not believe it. He was there. I could not believe that a section of Members of County Assembly (MCAs), only 12 MCAs, as we were told, were involved. I personally have the list of those MCAs and was shocked to find a member of ODM among them. She is nominated by ODM. This situation is unacceptable. The bulk of the 12 MCAs are from the governor's own party. He has set up a parallel house and decided to recognize only those from his party, who are sitting under a tree somewhere. He takes his budgets to them, and every 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":1553144,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553144/?format=json","text_counter":131,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"communication is processed through them. When we asked them how many clerks they have, they could not answer, as there is only one clerk and a gazetted place where the Assembly is supposed to sit. This is absolutely unbelievable. I cannot be persuaded that there is nothing this House can do. We are the ones with the power. We should stop all resources going to Nyamira County Assembly until this issue is resolved. We are presiding over an illegality. This House has options, and we must not appear helpless. By the time the report comes, the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations must ensure that it recommends stopping funds to Nyamira. If it does not, we will not accept it. We are preempting the work of that Committee already. Do not tell us there is nothing we can do. In my capacity as Secretary General (SG) of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party, I have informed my members in Nyamira that we will not tolerate their participation in an obvious illegality. I have spoken to the leadership of the Wiper Party. The SG of Wiper Party, Sen. Shakilla, is here. Inform the members of Wiper Party who are participating in that kangaroo assembly that there will be consequences for their actions. We, as ODM Party, are believers in devolution and its founders, the people who brought it to life. If we are fighting for resources, as ‘Baba’ always says, we must give counties more money. We cannot be part of these shenanigans where, instead of devolution helping the people of Nyamira, it is being undermined by small games in the village, resulting in two parallel assemblies. This will not be accepted. This Senate will not preside over such an illegality. Hon. Deputy Speaker, when we sat with those MCAs, we asked if there were court orders validating their sittings under a tree. There were none. This is a shameful situation, especially because we, as believers in devolution, are the ones who allocate funds to these county assemblies. Just yesterday, we passed a law in the Senate to give county assemblies financial independence. This law was brought by you, Hon. Kathuri Murungi, the Senator for Meru County. Now, if we instruct the National Treasury to send money to Nyamira County Assembly, which assembly will receive the funds? Now that there is financial autonomy, the next move should be for this Senate to stop any disbursements to the County Executive and the County Assembly of Nyamira because we cannot tolerate such a situation. We look so bad as a country that such a situation can continue."},{"id":1553145,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553145/?format=json","text_counter":132,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"The Senator for Nyamira, you can count on me as your Secretary General and colleague in this House, to ensure that we bring order to Nyamira County. We must bring order to Nyamira County because this is unacceptable and untenable. I am ready to make enemies."},{"id":1553146,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553146/?format=json","text_counter":133,"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, when I call that Nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA), she tried to speak to me in our native language, so that I can feel pity for her. I am ready to make enemies, but in the defence of devolution. There will be no tribe, no party and nothing because we cannot have a situation such as that."},{"id":1553147,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553147/?format=json","text_counter":134,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"Senator for Nyamira, Senior Counsel, Sen. Omogeni, please understand that I will deliver the entire machinery of the ODM Party to ensure that we restore order. Do not be scared by the Chairperson of the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations. There is something we can do and we will do it. 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":1553148,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553148/?format=json","text_counter":135,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Sifuna","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":13599,"legal_name":"Sifuna Edwin Watenya","slug":"sifuna-edwin-watenya"},"content":"Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir."},{"id":1553149,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553149/?format=json","text_counter":136,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Kathuri","speaker_title":"The Deputy Speaker","speaker":{"id":13590,"legal_name":"Murungi Kathuri","slug":"murungi-kathuri"},"content":" Hon. Senators, we only have eight minutes to end the Statement Hour. I had given two minutes to each Member. Proceed, Sen. Nyamu."},{"id":1553150,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553150/?format=json","text_counter":137,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Nyamu","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, April is autism awareness month. Therefore, the Statement by Sen. Methu is timely. The prevalence of autistic children has skyrocketed in the recent past, not just in Kenya, but globally. I know there are all sorts of theories attributing the rise of autism in the country and the world at large, but I do not want to dwell on that."},{"id":1553151,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553151/?format=json","text_counter":138,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Nyamu","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"There are challenges that the autistic community faces in this country because of lack of official data. We do not have a registry of autistic children in this country. If the Government was to intervene, what numbers are they going to base on?"}]}