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"id": 174544,
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"speaker_name": "Prof. Kamar",
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"speaker": {
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"legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this Motion of Adjournment and join those who have thanked God for this year, which started in a very difficult way. It started December 17, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4187 acrimoniously and we thank God that we are leaving on a very happy note. This year, however rough it has been, we have been able to pass landmark Bills, among them one of my favourites, the Finance Bill, that is going to give this Parliament the power to do the oversight role that it has always yearned for. So, we have done a lot, despite the difficulties we have had. Of course, the past two weeks have been our best, because we have had a lot of consensus- building; I would like to congratulate the Select Committee that we only elected this morning. However much we did not change its mix, we are very happy that they are a product of consensus. I want to thank Dr. Khalwale because if he had not brought that amendment, we would not be talking today, and we would sometimes be sending the wrong signals and perceptions to the ground. So, it is good that today, we have a team that we can all talk of as a team that came about as a product of consensus. While congratulating them, we would like them to look back--- I mentioned yesterday, as I contributed to a Bill, that the process of how we did the Constitution was part of our undoing. In fact, it took the greater toll on us than the content of the Bill. I would like to tell on the Select Committee that they have to be as fair and as neutral as possible, because any wrong perception that is received by the public is going to take us back. Sometimes, when we see insistence by hon. Members wanting to be in a Committee, you ask yourself: Do they have something up the sleeve that we do not know? We would like them to be as transparent as possible. They are going to deal with the appointment of two very important commissions in this country. The two commissions as we talk of independence, I want to appeal to the Select Committee that we would like to see non-interference as soon as they are selected. We would not like to see competition on who is going to come from where. We do not want to see the competition of regions or tribes when it comes to the appointment of commissioners, because we must get quality people if we are going to have a quality transition period into the new Constitution. So, we are telling this Committee that, because we have entrusted them with a very important task, they must live up to our expectations. I would like to agree with what hon. Mbarire said; that we are not threatening, but it is very important for us to hold on to the fact that we can actually dismiss them if they do not perform, so that they know that they are on check as far as Parliament is concerned. But we trust that since they are products of our own consensus, they are going to perform. The focus from now is going to be on the Constitution. We know that there are key issues that were contentious in Bomas. I was a Member of Bomas representing women and for the whole period, we had issues that were not resolved. We are going to call on everyone of us that we may be able to be flexible enough to accommodate one another, so that any issue that is dealt with, is dealt with thoroughly. We do not want debate at the point of the referendum. So, it is very important that we take our roles very seriously, as Members of Parliament. I would like to also dare say that, as a Member representing the women - and I was honoured to have hon. Omingo in the Sub-committee of transition - I know that there was very little participation by most Members of Parliament. I challenge this Parliament that, indeed, we should actually participate and show leadership in preparation for the next Constitution review. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I would like to join the rest in wishing all of us in this House, a very merry Christmas and blessed new year and also extend the same to the people of Eldoret East Constituency."
}