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{
    "id": 1518631,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1518631/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 96,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet West, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Timothy Kipchumba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you for giving me an opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill. I thank Hon. Kimilu for the progressive legislation that seeks to recognise and protect social workers in this country. A regulatory framework is essential in determining a sector’s output. Lawyers in this country discharge their duties without any compromise because they have a professional body that regulates the conduct of individual lawyers. It would be very important for social workers to have a body to regulate them. They must also be able to stipulate a certain kind of professionalism in the performance of their duties so that they can work properly within a legal framework. Hon. Deputy Speaker, as a lawyer, you are aware that a probation officer submits a probation report in a court of law before sentencing is meted out to an offender. Sometimes, those probation officers are compromised so that they submit false reports about offenders. Clause 29 of the Bill clearly provides for the discipline that should be observed by members of the proposed body. It says that a person who is registered under this Act commits an act of professional misconduct if the person engages in corrupt practice, among other professional misconducts that are listed thereunder. An innocent person may be charged in a court of law. When the court issues a directive to a particular officer to prepare a probation report, the officer is required to perform his or her duties professionally. He or she must issue a report that is not compromised. That way, innocent individuals who find themselves before a court of law will be protected. Such report must meet a certain threshold when the court weighs it. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the only concern I have with this Bill is that it does not provide a clear definition of ‘social work.’ The Bill also limits its scope to officers serving in the health, education and social services sectors. I believe there are other officers who serve as social workers in other departments. That definition should be reviewed to accommodate more service sectors. I also congratulate the Member on the aspect of funding. Many professions in the country want to depend on the Exchequer for funding. The Bill talks about the board having its own sources of revenue. That is commendable. Clause 34 talks about the source of funding for this body. It identifies the sources as ‘such monies or assets as may accrue or vest in the Council in the course of performance of its powers or functions, and such monies as may be payable to the Council pursuant to the Act as donations or gifts.’ The Council will not depend on the Exchequer for funding. I believe this is the way to go for professional bodies in this country, instead of them depending on the Exchequer. With those remarks, I support the Bill, to which I will propose amendments during the Committee of the whole House."
}