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{
    "id": 114747,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/114747/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 241,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. M.M. Ali",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Special Programmes",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 74,
        "legal_name": "Ali Mohamud Mohamed",
        "slug": "ali-mohamud-mohamed"
    },
    "content": "Constitution-making process is very important to this country. Kenyans for years have been yearning for a new Constitution. I want to join His Excellency in congratulating the Committee of Experts (CoE) and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review (PSC) for striking a balance and agreeing on the way forward, where in Naivasha they built consensus. Therefore, there is a lot of hope in the country as a whole. I support the Constitution-making process and want to join the Committee in urging Kenyans to accept this proposed Constitution. However, allow me to point out one area which is likely to make us quarrel a little bit. I sincerely believe that the CoE overstepped its mandate. I had an opportunity to read a copy of what was laid in this House this afternoon. The area that I am talking about is the chapter on representation. The Committee proposes formulas in the Constitution to sub-divide boundaries, be it for constituencies, locations, districts or provinces. Well, I think they had very good intentions, but to put a formula such as the one they have proposed in the current form is very dangerous. This is because it effectively locks out some sections of this country from benefiting from this process. When they talk of upper limit and lower limit, we must appreciate the disparities that exist within our borders. They gave special emphasis on the population. Our current Constitution gives us five parameters. We have argued out there severally that we have to give equal weight to all, because all are very important. But to go ahead and single out one and say, “let us give such and such limit,” I think that is the mandate of the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC). Otherwise, why did this august House establish that Commission? I think that is an omission on their part. I want to plead with the hon. Members that we look at that soberly. This is because if we talk of a certain population--- When they say: “Take an average of the Kenyan population and if you do not meet a certain number, you do not qualify for an extra constituency---“ At Independence, constituencies were created. Those people who created Lamu and Moyale Constituency, where I come from, knew what they were doing, even if the population was not big enough. Those are parts of the country which must be represented equally. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when you say, “give this formula to this kind of aspect”, why do you not give weight to other parameters which have been singled out in the Constitution like, for example, means of communication, the geography of the country and community of interest? Therefore, I want to plead with the House that we omit these kind of formulas from our Constitution because it is a dynamic kind of a process. We have to look at different interests within the country and make sure that all of the Kenyan population is going to be proud of the Constitution we are going to bring forward to this nation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Government for initiating the Moyale-Isiolo Road. We have been yearning for this road for a long time. As has been elaborately put by one Member who spoke before me, people from those parts of our country, whenever they travel to Nairobi, those who are left behind say: “Please, when you reach Kenya, greet our people who are there.” This clearly shows that they do not consider themselves as being part of the country. This is because over 40 years down the line we still talk of--- For example, today it rained in Moyale and I have been called and told that some parts of the road are impassable. Vehicles are stuck and the travelers are stranded. This is a very sad situation which must be corrected."
}