Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1424244,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1424244/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 668,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "I will quickly run over the various parts. More importantly, Part I on Clause 1 to 4 of the Bill, provides for those provisions and outlines the purposes and objectives for which I have properly enumerated. It helps Kenya to be part of the global community. We are members of the global society and there are certain global commitments that we have made as a country, which the passage of this Bill helps us to fulfil. For instance, the Convention of the World Meteorological Organisation and the International Civil Aviation Organisations where we have signed up. As a responsible country, we need to do this, so that we give weather warnings and such information. Clauses 5 to 8 of the Bill establishes this authority and provides for its functions and powers of the authority, which is to maintain surface, upper air, marine meteorological observation network, establishment and maintenance of integrated information system for exchange of this data across the globe. It also helps in issues such as forecasting, product dissemination and provision of aeronautical and meteorological services for safety, since we are part of the international global community. Many planes are overflying our airspace. They rely on this data and that is why this institution is important in determining the projected weather patterns for the next few days as the pilots sit to plan their trips and so on, they can get more credible information. Part III of the Bill, which is Clause 9 to 28, provides for the management of the authority who are the board of directors or representatives. There are qualifications for who is the chairperson of this board and it needs to be somebody who is well educated in these matters. The Chairperson will be appointed by the President and the qualification they need to meet is at least 10 years’ experience in the relevant field and hold a degree that is recognized in the Republic of Kenya and does not hold a position that is likely to place that person in an environment of conflict of interest and so forth. Part IV of the Bill provides for the establishment of a Research and Training Institute. Research is important and it is what informs us where the world is headed. It is possible to build a credible research institution so that these countries that keep on coming to Kenya to learn will come and benchmark and know that Kenya is a standard bearer. We have a responsibility, being one of the most progressive nations on the continent to come up with world class institutions where the rest of the continent can borrow a leaf from and learn on global practises and so on. That is why we are setting up that research institution. We need to develop the next group or school of professionals who will serve in this particular institution and that is why Clause 29 exists. Clause 30 provides for financial provisions on how to report audit procedures, issues of liability and so on. Part VI of the Bill, which is Clauses 41 to 47 provides the provisions relating to offences and penalties on what you are supposed to do and what is the mistake. We have a very interesting media in this country. Their obsession with mundane issues is legendary. You will find that in an entire Bill, of all the things that I have said, they will focus on the fines and somebody will run with a screaming headline that you will now be charged Kshs1 million for wrongly predicting the weather according to a Bill moved by the Senate Majority Leader. You cannot put that past our media, but we have come to 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 and AudioServices, Senate."
}