Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1496952,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1496952/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 174,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Crystal Asige",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I will go to some of the provisions. I am sure people are asking themselves; do I need a permit to conduct a fundraising appeal? How would they know? Some of the criteria here is very dense. It says that for one to conduct a public appeal fundraising or a harambee, they must obtain a permit. So, a person cannot conduct a fundraising appeal unless the person has applied for and obtained a permit. A person who intends to conduct the fundraising appeal shall apply to the Cabinet Secretary as the case may be. What information do they need in this application? They will need information around the full name and address of the person intending to conduct the fundraising appeal; the purpose of the fundraising appeal, the necessity of conducting the fundraising appeal, the date on which the fundraising is to be conducted and the names and contact details of the persons assisting in conducting the appeal. You will need the amount intended to be raised through the appeal. You will need the estimated expenses to be incurred to conducting the appeal. You will need a statement regarding whether any monies have been received with respect to the matter pertaining to the fundraising appeal from any person prior to the date of the proposed fundraising appeal; and the place at which the collection is intended to be made and the expected time frame for the appeal. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, me saying that was a mouthful. I even struggled to say all of that criteria. Now imagine someone who is in a marginalized group or in a marginalized part of the country who has no clue about this Bill. How will this reach them? Imagine those who are illiterate, trying to put all this together in the midst of bereavement, how are they going to manage? I am trying to think about PWDs, especially those with intellectual or severe disabilities. I am thinking about minors who may need to conduct fundraising appeals for one reason or the other. I am thinking about people who are indignant, who need to also adhere to these provisions and these criteria. I feel like we may be over-legislating and missing the intent or the spirit of a fundraiser because we are trying to control, cure or curb corruption, as has been alluded to by some other Members who have contributed. We cannot cut off our noses on our faces. It is difficult to continue thinking about how we are going to realize and implement this in the best way possible because it will need a buy-in from the general public. I am in the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare that considered this Bill. We listened to many public participation contributions and we went through the matrix. A lot of it was not in support of the Bill, if I am completely honest. I am sure that the Majority Leader is aware of all this through a report the Chairperson will make available to him. It was not just, individuals but we also had had institutions like the Council of Governors (CoG) and many other stakeholders. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I will share a couple of these thoughts that I found interesting and powerful when I listened to them. They opposed the sweeping provisions of this Bill in general like I said. They said that this Bill which seeks to regulate public fundraising activities, commonly known harambees is fundamentally flawed in its approach and intent. Rather than address the root cause of the pervasive need for public fundraisers, the Bill focuses on controlling the symptoms of systemic Government failures. 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."
}