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{
    "id": 1091533,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1091533/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 234,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Waqf Bill. This Bill is important; it provides a framework for managing endowments that are given for charity. I think in every society, it is important that charity is given and properly managed. If it is done in line with the Islamic religion, I see nothing wrong with that because in the other many laws that they have, they take into consideration other religions. If for instance you take the Marriage Act, it looks at the traditional practices and all the laws. That is acceptable because the law accommodates all of us. If you look at the Insurance Act, there is Takaful which is Islamic. It is something legal and is going on. There is also Islamic banking. These are things with provisions in the law and so I do not see any problem with that as long as every aspect is looked at. We obviously will look at how it relates with other similar laws like the Unclaimed Property Act and the Public Trustees laws that we have. So, in my view, it just fits in our legal framework. This, as we have learnt, existed many years ago, although at that time it provided for what was then seen as a smaller community in a restricted area. Now that has expanded and we have to expand the law as well. Also, the laws that created the Commission then in 1948 are now not relevant and it is better to now look at it. Muslim leaders saw this as necessary and made a petition to the Government that resulted in this Bill. In my view that is something that is commendable; turning our practices into law. This Bill provides a way that makes people who want to give to the Waqfs comfortable that the resources that they give will be used as they wanted. It also provides the structures of how these resources will be managed. The setting up of the commission… We have asked how the members are identified but that is something we can look at in the Third Reading during the Committee of the whole House. This Bill also provides how these finances are managed, how the commission is managed and how the Waqf are registered. I find that structure is necessary for us. The Bill also provides on how enquiries can be made in circumstances that the Waqf has not been used properly and how they can be disposed of. It is important that they look at unclaimed assets. That is why I was asking how will it relate with the other laws that deal with that? Most important to me is that the Bill provides that these resources and the Commission will be audited through the Public Audit Act which brings them into the law as much as it should be. So, in my view, this is a law we should support so that people who get help with monies and resources do so without losses that would occur if we did not have such a structure. As to whether it will be restricted to Muslims is something that Members have contributed to. We can look at the law and say that as much as it is based on the Islamic laws even Islam itself provides that all people should be supported if they need the help. So, I support this and we will look at the appropriate amendments when we come to the Committee of the whole House. I support and thank you."
}