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{
    "id": 107376,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/107376/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 372,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Bill that was initially enacted was fully debated in this House. Consequently, nobody should take any blame and ask why the Attorney-General is bringing the amendments when we only enacted the Bill recently, as if there was some defect in the Bill. There were really no defects in the Bill at that time and Mr. Mungatana did contribute extensively. If he had mentioned these ideas at that time, maybe we would have amended it at that time. But the fact of the matter is this; because the Government is committed to putting the witness protection programme in place, soon after the enactment of that Bill we embarked on a very ambitious programme to implement the Bill. During the implementation of the Bill, all the experts, both national and international were present. It is in the process of implementing the Bill that we found some weakness, which in a sense shows that one cannot just import a Bill from the United States of America (USA), Canada or South Africa and think that it can work in Kenya because our system here is different. Whereas that Act when enacted it was okay, but in our systems here, it could not just work. Therefore, I think it is wisdom itself which says that when you are trying something and it does not work, it is wisdom to accept that you have to change. It will be foolhardy to refuse to change just because you have enacted an Act of Parliament. Therefore, the Government deserves congratulations for having brought these amendments as early as possible, as soon as they realized that there were obstacles and weaknesses in the implementation. The fact that the Government brought these amendments so quickly is in itself indicative of the support the Government has to this programme. Indeed, that is the whole purpose of enacting an Act of Parliament. If you enact an Act of Parliament, it does not remain like that forever and ever. Through experience, changes in the methodology of doing things or amendments are routinely brought to the Floor of this House to an Act of Parliament. Therefore, nobody should say that there was any mistake done. The Government should be congratulated for bringing the Bill as soon as the weaknesses were discovered."
}