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"speaker_name": "Mr. Kiunjuri",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Water and Irrigation",
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to start by saying that really, this is a historic moment for this country. This is the time to tell Kenyans the truth because by the end of the day, they will listen to us. Kenyans watch their television screens and have the HANSARD that they can go through this year, next year and even some decades to come. We should be able to inform Kenyans on what we are going through, not coming here to do politics everyday and do political posturing. Kenyans do not really understand the process we are taking them through. There are fundamental principles in a constitution making and we have been advised about them. We must look at this Constitution not as a document for 2012; not a document for horse trading; not a document that when So and So comments about it, I will look at him and say: âBecause I hate hon. Jirongo, I will not support whatever he brings up in the form of amendments.â We should not look at any issue raised here, even amendments in terms of my region, tribe or other issues. It is about a Constitution of this country. Why do I say this? Definitely, in this document that is already proposed, there are issues that you must scrutinise. We have to look at them chapter by chapter and article by article to make sure that we have a Constitution for ourselves, children and for the future of this country. We must look at what is so crucial in this document. We know for sure that there are crucial things in this document. There are features of a democracy that a Constitution must address. We should be able to say where we are coming from. What is the problem with the document that we have today? What has it failed to address? Have we been able to address these issues? We are all accepting that a Constitution cannot be 100 per cent. We have heard the history of Philadelphia, we have heard the history of Lancaster and all the constitutions of the world. That is one thing that all Members of Parliament are agreeing; that, there is no way we shall come out with a perfect Constitution. If we are all agreeing with that, then we must look at those crucial things like what sets the fundamental principles and pillars of democracy. We must check on whether this Constitution will be able to separate powers and take them where they belong. We must look at the national executive of this country. Can we have a national executive that is checked and give it its functions? The main functions of the national executive are to propose policies and laws. When it comes to laws, it is Parliament to form those laws. The work of the legislature is to make sure that it passes laws and check Executive. Does this Constitution guarantee us that this Legislature can be able to check the Executive? If you come to the judiciary, it is charged with the responsibility of interpreting the laws. At the same time, judiciary administers justice. We must make sure that this Constitution protects the judiciary. Does this Constitution that we are about to take to a"
}