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{
    "id": 1056411,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1056411/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 103,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ndaragwa, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Jeremiah Kioni",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 49,
        "legal_name": "Jeremiah Ngayu Kioni",
        "slug": "jeremiah-kioni"
    },
    "content": "drafters of the Constitution. It is important that this Parliament be part of what Kenyans would want to do and what they have indicated they would want to do. That is to get this process moving as quickly as possible and without us being seen to be an impediment of any nature. Hon. Speaker, I have heard discussions and some talk shows of some people who would want to say that the role of Parliament is totally unnecessary. In fact, one of them used a word that is not useful to have on the Hansard . It is, however, important that we accept and allow the process to go on. I support the sentiments that have been given by the Leader of the Majority Party and the Leader of the Minority Party. We need to use Standing Order No.1 to become a bit innovative and think quickly on how we can process this amendment Bill through the popular initiative. Certainly, you have addressed the issues on why we do not need to do publication again. It is without doubt that we have to be careful. Those of us who remember the Constitution processes will remember that in 1992 we allowed the Government Printer to print, and a coma was introduced and this changed the whole debate and direction the country wanted to take. So, we need to be careful with such attempts of going back to the Government Printer especially when we can see it is not necessary. I also believe that when we did the Constitution 2010, by the time we left Naivasha, there was a sunset clause on some of the nominations we do. Again, we lost this somewhere in between. So, we have to be careful with who we trust the Bill with after it has left and is going through the mill. I know there is call for public participation. There is a question of why do public participation if what the public is going to tell us will not find its way in the Bill. I invite people to look at Article 118 and 201 where you have public participation when dealing with public finance and ordinary legislative agenda. There seems to be some little difference. When we go for public participation with a Bill, we listen to the public and take their views into consideration. We also have an opportunity to see what should find its way into the Bill or not. But this is a little unique because the Bill has already been considered by 43 plus counties and they have heard their voice on it. So, if we try to amend it at some point, in my opinion, the counties will have sound argument to say what we are now processing is not what they passed. So, we may need to refer it back to them to agree with it again. So, this process will never come to a stop. I totally agree we need to allow the process to move on. Again, echoing the sentiments of the Leader of the Minority Party, the recognition of the sovereignty of the people is what the people have given an okay to, going all the way to the end without a lot of intellectual interference. So, we need to agree and allow this process to move on. I want to thank you for the guidance you have given us on this process. The issue of having joint sittings between this House and the Senate is another useful innovation. When Parliament was working on the Constitution 2010, we did not have a Senate. We had a Parliamentary Select Committee which was composed of Members from all political parties because we were dealing with a constitutional issue. This is not something you want to deal with from a section of Parliament or representatives. So, it is good to have both Houses speaking to this. It will allow us to move the process forward quickly. I think it is important that we set our minds on the areas in the Constitution that requires to move a little ahead of the processes, so that we do not find ourselves in the coming days with a similar scenario where we need to think on our feet on what to do and how to process legislative agenda that comes before us. 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."
}