Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1335518,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1335518/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 36,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Deputy Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Members, Article 119 of the Constitution accords any person the right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority, including petitioning the House to enact, amend or repeal any legislation. Further, Standing Order 225 (2)(b) requires the Speaker to report to the House any Petition other than those presented by a Member. In this regard, Hon. Members, I wish to report to the House that my office has received a petition from Messrs. Godfrey Maina, Kevin Kiarie, Muhia Kagwi and John Wangai of P.O. Box 40317 Nairobi, calling for the amendment of Section 7(3) of the Estate Duty Act, Cap 483 of the laws of Kenya, in order to entrench equality in taxation. Hon. Members, the petitioners have expressed displeasure with Section 7(3) of the Estate Duty Act, Cap 483 because it exempts the estates of His Excellency Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and His Excellency Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, both retired, from imposition of estate duty. Hon. Members, the petitioners indicate the section to be contrary to Article 210 (3) of the Constitution that provides that no law may exclude a State Officer from payment of tax by reason of the office held by the State Officer or the nature of the work of the State Officer. To this end, the petitioners refer to Article 2(4) of the Constitution which provides: ‘Any law, including customary law that is inconsistent with this Constitution is void to the extent of the inconsistency, and an act or omission in contravention of this Constitution is invalid.’ Hon. Members, the petitioners faulted the provision of Section 7(3) of the Estate Duty Act because they are convinced that it is discriminatory, contributes to social inequality, hinders economic redistribution of wealth and denies the Government much needed revenue. The petitioners, therefore, seek the intervention of the House in deleting Section 7(3) of the Estate Duty Act, Cap 483. Hon. Members, having established the matter raised in this Petition is well within the authority of the House; and further, that the matters raised in this Petition are not pending before any court of law, or any constitutional body or legal body, I hereby commit the Petition to the Public Petitions Committee for consideration pursuant to the Standing Order 208A. The Committee is required to consider the Petition and report its findings to the House and to the petitioners in accordance with Standing Order 227(2). 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."
}