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"id": 110733,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Nanok",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Forestry and Wildlife",
"speaker": {
"id": 57,
"legal_name": "Josephat Koli Nanok",
"slug": "josephat-nanok"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for âseeingâ me so that I can make my contributions to this great debate. Basically, what we have in front of us is a document, the Draft Constitution; a matter that has been in the public domain for the last 20 years, and which we have not been able to agree on previously. In 2005, after coming up with the Kilifi Draft, it went to the referendum and could not marshal the required numbers for it to be approved. Then, we were back to the drawing board. So, as Kenyans and as this Parliament, we have got another opportunity now to be able to do this document and make sure it goes through so that it can be there for posterity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you have to realize that there have been so many levels of discussing this document. We had the people themselves providing their views; we had the Committee of Experts putting these views together; we had the Parliamentary Select Committee also making changes to this draft and, now, it is the turn for Parliament to be able to look at this draft. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Parliament is not a rubber-stamping institution. We are not here to rubber-stamp what others have done. The last two weeks have actually indicated that there are, indeed, certain sections in this draft Constitution that need to be amended. If we are amending it for the betterment of this country, so be it! I, as an hon. member from Turkana, being in this House and participating in the amendments that will be brought on the Floor of the House, do not feel ashamed that we can be able to make amendments. So long as those amendments are credible, they can be justified and they can be able to meet the two-thirds threshold that is required. So, I will only urge hon. Members to forget about the noise that we are hearing from outside that we should not change this draft as it is. Where it is necessary, let us change it for the betterment of this country. We will have played our role. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Constitution is being made to protect all Kenyans of all shades; young and old, men and women, black and white and, particularly, all the 42 tribes of this country. We are making a Constitution that will ensure that their rights and fundamental freedoms are not only protected, but they are going to be observed. I am, therefore, glad that Chapter 4 on the Bill of Rights is not only elaborate, but gives the citizens of this country inalienable recognition to hold accountable the constitutional and governance institutions which this draft does establish. However, there is need to strengthen the chapter on the Bill of Rights so that some of its provisions are not used to abuse the same rights as granted. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I give the example of Article 45 (2), which says:- âEvery adult has the right to marry a person of the opposite sex, based on the free consent of the parties.â"
}