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{
    "id": 1381160,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1381160/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 315,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "the evidence required. I am sure in the course of time the relevant Clerk of the two Houses will develop the mode and type of evidence that needs to be presented here. Let me give a typical scenario. You can be denied access, for example, if there is an issue in any area, whoever is petitioned against can deny access so that there is no evidence at all that you ever submitted that petition. Because it is a constitutional requirement, we should not make it onerous, cumbersome and difficult to present a petition on the demand that there must be evidence that attempts have been made elsewhere. That needs to be relooked at clearly to make it easier. There is a requirement here that the Clerk of the relevant House shall convey each petition to the relevant committee of the House responsible for ascertaining whether the petition meets the requirements of this Act. I request the Committee to delete that provision. This is because, as much as the committee has a clerk, it might not have the technical competence to determine admissibility of a petition. This should be left in the hands of the Clerks of the two Houses, who can populate their office with technical staff to enable them assess admissibility of a petition to this House. We must also guard against having a flood of frivolous petitions that would be a terrible waste of public time and resources. Members of the public petition Parliament and not committees. We know that Parliament works through committees, but ultimately the ownership of any decision of Parliament lies on the Floor of the House, the Plenary. I, therefore, request that subsequent amendments, however, small, innocuous and inconsequential they maybe, all the reports of the relevant committees to which a petition is committed, must table a report on the Floor of the House so that the House is seized of the matter and makes a decision. All the petitioners want to hear their petition prosecuted on the Floor of the House so that they know that the matter has been adequately addressed."
}