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{
    "id": 1154056,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1154056/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 273,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, let me start by thanking the Members for the interest they have shown in this Bill. From the contributions, it is very clear that Members have not only been concerned, but have also gone ahead and actually read through the Bill. I have been in this House for a very long time and it is very easy to tell when Members are contributing because of social media or what we have heard the other one saying, but also very different when Members have looked through the Bill. Let me also thank the Members of the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security. When we committed this Bill to them, I was very conscious of the fact that this Bill had attracted a lot of interest from various stakeholders. It also attracted a lot of intra-fighting and interests within the Government by people who felt that perhaps their jobs were threatened by the Bill and the typical fears that come with any change or any proposed change. However, the Committee has harmonised all these things through a series of stakeholders’ engagement. At least, we have brought down those temperatures. It is thanks to the Committee which managed to steer and spearhead that process. After listening to Members, I have heard their concerns. One of the concerns which Hon. Mwambire, I do not know whether he is still around, raised, was that some people would be left out of this system. One of the things to note is that we may be looking at the entire system from the prism of what we know of the ID card. However, the design of the Huduma Namba is that it is assigned to a person at birth. So, you do not need an ID to get a Huduma Namba because it would be a unique reference number at birth. So, every one born in Kenya would be assigned it and nobody needs to fear that because they do not have an ID, they will not get it. We must also remember that our 2010 Constitution was very clear that any child under the age of 18 found in Kenya is deemed to be a Kenyan citizen and is registrable. Much as we started the initial registration with children up to six years, the number is supposed to go at birth. So, nobody needs to feel threatened that with the Huduma Namba, they will be left out. In fact, we should all be celebrating that with the coming of the Huduma Namba every Kenyan will be registered and included. The other issue is that Kenya is a signatory and a firm believer of the United Nations. If Members knew, Target No.16.9 of the Sustainable Development Goals, calls for all the UN member states including our country to provide legal identity for all including birth registration by the Year 2030. We are, however, far beyond that. The Huduma Bill which aims at consolidating our registration systems, numbers and everything else, will go a long way towards achieving that as a specific provision in aspirational SDGs. I want to persuade Members that I heard of the issue of public participation and it would not be with respect to this Bill. There has been extensive participation and it is all documented. I have not seen the exact number of stakeholders appearing in the public participation, but the reference to public participation was in terms of the roll-out of the initial Huduma Namba which was also important because important lessons were learnt. Some of those have informed the formulation of this law in terms of knowing where the gaps were. This means that the courts have also helped in terms of saying there is a gap. This law is perhaps the most modern in terms of addressing the shortcomings that were experienced at the roll out which you can think of as a person in terms of the challenges that have gone to court and the rulings from the court which have all been addressed. By the time we pass this law, we can ensure that there is an integrated national identity management system which cannot be challenged. It will be an example to other countries within The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}