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{
    "id": 1064884,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1064884/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": "Having subscribed to the threshold for introduction by the population in Parliament, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill was read for the First Time in both Houses on 4th March 2020. It was introduced without delay from the county assemblies but remember we are now two months since it came to this House. It is important we remind ourselves that the clock is ticking and people are looking to see if this House is processing it without delay. Hon. Speaker, in your Communication dated 4th March 2021 on the Draft Bill, you informed the House that upon reading the Bill, it would be referred to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs to undertake public participation and would be brought back to the two Houses. Hon. Speaker, you are also aware and you have mentioned this and we have debated this before, that currently we do not have the legal framework or legislation framework within our Statute Law or even within our Standing Orders for processing of an amendment to the Constitution by way of popular initiative. Indeed, this has presented a legal mind field that the House has to consciously navigate. Indeed, the receipt of a letter today has now made your lives much easier because you would have had to decide who moves a Bill that is promoted by people who are strangers to this House. At least, we now have precedent that even in future, promoters would be requested to nominate who moves on your behalf. At the very outset, you recognise these challenges. In your earlier Communication dated 4th March 2021, some challenges were referenced which included the issue of publication of the Bill, procedural gap with regard to moving a second Bill which we have now resolved and indeed, what happens on all the various Sittings. Hon. Speaker, allow me to reiterate the words of General Colin Powell, a former United States of America General and a former Secretary of State. In his famous quotes, he said and I quote “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution that everybody can understand.” Hon. Speaker, allow me to congratulate you for exhibiting these great traits as quoted above and providing guidance to us that has assisted the House in discharging its constitutional mandate especially, within the lacuna that we find ourselves in. At this point, I want to thank the two Co-Chairpersons – Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Clement Muturi Kigano and His Co-Chairperson in the Senate, Sen. Omogeni. We gave them the responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the process and they took time to build consensus through giving due regard to every Member to air their views to avoid the pitfalls and vagaries of joint sittings which we have seen in the past even in simple mediations. At least, we avoided potential conflicts that would have subjected a very good report to rejection due to questions of credibility. I am aware that the process has taken rather long but at the end, they have come to a conclusion that as a Committee, they support the Bill. Never mind the small differences in terms of divisions on some of the paragraphs which I do not want to get into because the Chairman would be presenting those but, the bottom line is that we are all happy that after they took time and having listened to one another and experts, they all agreed that it is important to recommend to the House that we support the Bill. I have also read the Report. In brief, the object of this Bill is to amend the Constitution of Kenya to address issues arising from its implementation and specifically to resolve issues of divisive elections, promote gender equity in governance which is the issue of inclusivity, strengthen the structure of devolution 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."
}