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{
    "id": 1049442,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1049442/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 151,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kandara, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Alice Wahome",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1700,
        "legal_name": "Alice Muthoni Wahome",
        "slug": "alice-muthoni-wahome"
    },
    "content": "I know there are rules. I do not like taking it off because we should secure ourselves and each other. On the question of public participation and verification of signatures, public participation is a constitutional requirement. Therefore, once a Bill has been released, it is not possible to stand on the Floor of the House and talk about curtailing public participation. Let us be reasonable as we debate this law. It is important to allow free, fair, open and candid public participation for Bills. I have seen there is a lot of disturbance and effort to curtail good order in terms of debate out there. We have seen people being disrupted. With this kind of law in place, we are likely to put some sanity in this process as we move on. I am happy that we have this Bill and I hope that we will clear it quickly, so that we can tidy the business of the referendum that is likely to happen. There is already a BBI Referendum Bill. The reason why we are having some of those challenges is because there is no law. One of my greatest concerns has been that we are moving with such an important process without a legislative framework. Therefore, the problems and challenges the proponents of the Bill outside there have been having is because there was no legal framework. We need, as a House, to move quickly so that we can have the framework in place. Verification of signatures cannot be overstated or understated, because it is known that you can actually forge people’s signatures to get the one million signatures required. So, while we are making this law, we have to think about how to protect the sanity and integrity of the process, so that whoever finds their signature it is not by accident, but they are the ones who have signed on to the proposal. I would want this Bill to take care of that. On the question of timelines of between seven days and 30 days, depending on the activity, that is a very good proposal in this Bill. We cannot have activities that are not guided by timelines. I think the CIOC did a great job. It is good to commend Members when they have worked hard. The Bill anticipates that there can be more than one question. Therefore, let us encourage that. Looking at how we are moving, tomorrow it may be necessary that there be more than one valid The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}