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{
    "id": 1284562,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1284562/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 247,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity to also express my views on this very important Bill, which is long overdue. I want to start by congratulation Sen. (Prof) Kamar for this very important Bill that is before us. As it has been said, this Bill was actually passed in the last Senate, but it lapsed in the National Assembly. Therefore, we have to reprocess it. May be it is an opportunity for us to address this problem. The issue of Senate passing Bills which go to the National Assembly, stay there, then eventually, lapse and likewise. Bills that are passed by the National Assembly, come to this side and then lapse. I think it is an issue that both Houses must sit down so that the efforts of the Members of the Senate or the National Assembly are not wasted because of petty disputes between the two Houses. Madam Temporary Speaker, going to the substance of this Bill, this Bill is very timely. As you are aware, it is about Article 7(3)(b) of the Constitution which provides the use and promotion of sign language as one of the languages in this country. Therefore, it will help us actualize this particular Article of the Constitution. We also talk about Article 54 and 56 of the Constitution on the rights of marginalized persons, particularly, PWDs. This Bill will go along way in actualising the provision of the Constitution in relation to marginalised persons or PWDS. Though we talk about sign languages, many of us think that sign language is just one language across the board. When I was doing research on this Bill, I was surprised to find out that there are over 300 sign languages globally. This makes me think that maybe we need to harmonize sign languages so that we have one language across the world. This is so that we do not have an American version of sign language, British version and French version; we have one language. We must have an easy way in which this category of people are able to communicate with each other. At the same time, sign language is just like any other language. It has grammar and rules of grammar. It is actually a language on its own which can be interpreted differently depending on where you come from. I think global efforts should be put around developing a uniform sign language so that we can have an international standard The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}