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{
    "id": 1582613,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1582613/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 599,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet West, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Timothy Kipchumba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Before I contribute on the Bill, I also wish to sympathise with Hon. Kimani Kuria. I agree with you that, as a House, we must breathe life to Article 37 of the Constitution. When we say that picketing should be done peaceably and unarmed, what do we mean? The Government has a right to protect the lives and properties of its people. However, how do you protect lives and properties of people who are armed? That is a challenge. The police sometimes may not protect lives because of what demonstrators do. As a House, we must convene on this and generate a legal framework that will un-bundle Article 37 of the Constitution to give it life. I rise to support the letter, intent and spirit of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, (National Assembly Bill No.4 of 2025) for the simple reason that once we entrench the NG-CDF, the NGAAF, and the Senate Oversight Fund in the Constitution, they become part and parcel of our Constitution. The courts cannot declare parts of the Constitution unconstitutional. As a House, we are bound to defend this important Fund. I have heard people arguing that this Fund is controlled by the Members of Parliament. Those who are postulating that school of thought should tell us where it is provided in the current law that a Member of Parliament directly controls that Fund. What we do is oversight alongside other funds that are devolved in this country, like the Women Enterprise Development Fund, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and the Uwezo Fund. Why are they not complaining about those funds? Those funds are at the same level with the NG-CDF. 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."
}