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{
"id": 114169,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/114169/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Musyoka",
"speaker_title": "The Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 188,
"legal_name": "Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka",
"slug": "kalonzo-musyoka"
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is right. I stand corrected for that information. He started as a Member for Bahati and then Othaya. He has been a Member of Parliament for 47 years. This is nearly half a century. He said that the Tenth Parliament has a singular opportunity of delivering positive change more than all the others. I joined in the Fifth Parliament. Next month, God willing, I will be accomplishing a quarter of a century in this House. I want to agree that we can put our act together, for once, and deliver in a very solid way, a new Constitution for our people. Our people do not expect anything less. Therefore, I want to urge us to put aside our partisan interests, as did the Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Review, who did us proud when they went to Naivasha. I have one little concern. As students of constitutional law, you and I, believe that in the concept of separation of powers, as a basic cornerstone of the rule of law, there shall be a supreme Parliament and an Executive that is always held to account as well as an independent Judiciary. If we get this concept of the separation of powers correctly, we will be doing ourselves and the future generations proud. Therefore, it is obvious to me that there has been a mix up over the years. But even as we celebrate this possibility, I am concerned because in exercise of its mandate, Parliament, particularly after the Serena Talks, has spearheaded the reform process. Parliament has been very focused on Agenda 4 items. This is what we are trying to do. Those Agenda 4 items will find their culmination in the arrival of a new Constitution. Even as that happens, this august House, the supreme Parliament, should generously guard its mandate. Dr. Kosgei made a contribution here yesterday. At one time, she was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Indeed, she was my Permanent Secretary. We had occasion to work with Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat. I am not saying this to give indication that we are not concerned about the concerns the public is raising, but we have also, as a Parliament to guard our process. I think there is a direct relationship between what is happening there with the civil society and the supremacy of Parliament. The name of Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat came through a Motion. We approved that name together with the other commissioners to form the all important Commission of Truth, Justice and Reconciliation. Soon after that, it looks like we were either not serious about our mandate, or that we did not give the due process and consideration a chance. Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat having been approved by this House, it behooves all of us to stand up and say that in exercise of our mandate, we think we need to be given concrete reasons why the House should think otherwise. In any event, he cannot be fired in the streets of Nairobi. It has to take the due process. As members of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) pointed out, we have to guard against mob justice. Everybody has to enjoy equality and protection of the law. Therefore, I am not necessarily defending Bethuel Kiplagat, but I am defending the supremacy of this House. Therefore, I thought that, that is a matter that I needed to mention. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Review meeting in Naivasha, came up with a consensus. Here I know that I am trending on some murky waters---"
}