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{
    "id": 1439923,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1439923/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 139,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Homa Bay Town, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker for the opportunity to address the matter of this Bill. I support the proposed amendment to the Judicial Service Act, just as I support the proposed amendments to the Parliamentary Service Act. I support them because the mandates of these particular commissions are in the Constitution. The Parliamentary Service Commission has to deal with matters of facilities and welfare of Members. We have had situations in the past where sister commissions are encroaching into the mandate of the Parliamentary Service Commission. This amendment would make it clear the matters which the Parliamentary Service Commission and the Judicial Service Commission should be dealing with. We must remember there is a good reason as to why we have a Parliamentary Service Commission for this arm of Government, and also a Judicial Service Commission for the other arm of Government. We need those commissions to protect these two arms within the scope of their constitutional mandates. Hon. Speaker, I oppose amendments proposed to the Children Act, as I do also to the amendments proposed to the Adoption Act. It is proposed to amend the Children Act by deleting Section 186(4). Just to put Parliament in good light, let me read what Section 186(4) deals with. The subject under Section 186 is who may apply to adopt a child. At Subsection 4, it says: “The court shall not make an adoption order in favour of a sole male applicant, unless the applicant is a blood relative of a child.” We are proposing to delete this provision, to allow any male applicant, even if not related to a child, and in spite of the gender of that child, to adopt a child. That is a very dangerous proposal. Why would I, as a male person, seek to adopt a child I am not related to, while I am sole and not living with a female? What am I to do with the child if there is no distinction as to the gender of the child? I am addressing a proposed deletion of Section 186(4), which is a very dangerous proposal coming through this Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. Section 186 (4), which is proposed to be deleted, says, on page 1815 of the Bill, that the court shall not make an adoption order in favour of a sole male applicant, unless the applicant is a blood relative of the child. We know what it takes to take care of a young child. How can a sole male person who is not married or living with any other person, adopt a child? We are not talking about the gender of the child. How can I be allowed to adopt a girl I am not related to and go with her? This provision is very dangerous. We took a lot of thought into the current Children Act, 2022 and we had very good reasons to have this provision. We could risk giving children to defilers. 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."
}