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{
    "id": 1083539,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1083539/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, DP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Gitonga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13491,
        "legal_name": "George Gitonga Murugara",
        "slug": "george-gitonga-murugara"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Allow me, at the outset, to support the Bill and thank Hon. Millie Odhiambo. It is timely. It is a Bill we should all support despite the fact that we feel there may be a necessity for amendments in various areas. At the end of the day, we must have a legal framework to support the aspect of assisted reproduction. Assisted reproduction starts right from the biblical perspective. It was there during the early days. If you were directed to assist in reproduction and you failed to do so, the consequences would be grave as we read from the Bible. In our African traditional societies, again, it was a common practice for human beings to assist one another in areas of reproduction so that the human race could be carried forward from generation to generation. Technology has now come and it is quite advanced. It comes in to aid couples that are not able to conceive and get children in the normal way. Therefore, Kenya should not be left behind in promulgating laws that would assist such couples get children through this technology. I have gone through the Bill and I am quite happy with the establishment of the authority, which will actually be regulating, supervising and licensing the reproduction assistance especially because it does provide for qualified persons to sit in that authority or board, so that we do not have quacks coming in to try and run a corporate body whose functions they may actually not know. Therefore, as we provide for this board, we should be keen on what the board is going to do and especially look at prohibited activities. It is important that we set out what a licenced business can do or not do. We know for sure, Kenyans are business minded and we will be setting up clinics all over so that we are able to run the business and make as much money as we can out of this, contrary to the principles, spirit and the tenets of this Bill. We have made a provision - and this is quite timely - about the rights of parents and donors including the rights of the children so that, when a child is born, we know which law is applicable, what are the rights of the parents to that particular child and, most importantly, what are the rights of that particular child born through a process which is away from normal. Access to information is also important especially where there is a mishap. You never know what happens to a child at the time of birth. The surrogate or the other mother may die and the former may actually poach as a result of which it may not be possible for that child to know how 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."
}