Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1439958,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1439958/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 174,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet West, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Timothy Kipchumba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to comment on this proposed legislation. From the outset, I associate myself with the sentiments of Hon. Kaluma and Hon. Oundo that, sometimes it seems like we are sneaking in substantive amendments to certain legislations using a Statute Law Miscellaneous Amendment Bill which is an omnibus. I believe that this kind of Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill is only meant to deal with certain minor amendments. Looking at this Bill in its entirety, it introduces substantive amendments which ideally should be amendments in the parent legislations. For example, the amendment to the Children Act that touches on adoption should be brought under the Children Act and not under a Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. It speaks to the core of the Children Act. If you look at the provision on adoption, it provides for deletion of Section 186(4) of the Children Act. That provision provides 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. The wisdom behind that provision in the Children Act was to protect the best interests of a child. We now want to delete that particular provision and give sole male applicants the ability to adopt children. The reason I read the report is because it says that that provision is discriminatory. That provision was put in the Children Act to protect the best interests of a child. We will, for example, be giving a sole male applicant a girl to adopt and we are not sure whether the best interests of that child will be protected by that sole male applicant. When the time comes, I will propose that provision to be deleted. 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."
}