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{
    "id": 174961,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/174961/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 344,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Lands",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to second the Second Reading of this Bill. Much has been said about this Bill, and I need not go into the Bill itself, because I think hon. Members have gone through it clause by clause. I just wanted to commend hon. Members in many ways when I look back. When Kenya became a one-party state, if there had been as much consultation as I have seen this time round with the hon. Members, I think Kenya would never have become a de jure one-party state. I am also sure that in respect of the detention laws that saw many hon. Members, who were party to an Act which made it legal for Kenyans to be detained without trial--- If there had been as much consultation as we have seen during this process, I think that law would not have been in the Statute books of this country. Therefore, I want to commend hon. Members in insisting that they do not become a rubberstamp in so far as this Bill is concerned. Let me also join my colleague, Ms. Karua, and commend the Departmental Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs, led by its able Chairman, who came up with very useful suggestions and amendments to the original Bill; also, during the Kamukunjis, suggestions and discussions came up in relation to this Bill. I am very happy because it has been a very long journey. For the first time, we are having a Constitution-making process, where in many ways, the mechanism for that process is in a constitutional enactment, if this Bill becomes law. It is going to be anchored and secured in the Constitution of Kenya. The other important point which has been critical over the years is the issue of the creation of new constituencies and boundaries in relation to constituencies. Now, at least, this Parliament has decided that we are going to have a Boundaries Commission, although on an interim basis, which is going to make recommendations for the approval of Parliament, to ensure that the representative form of Government that we have in place is not only truly democratic, but respects all the conditionalities of representation, including the area and the principle of one man one vote. I think that all these are well covered in this Bill. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with the passage of this Bill, Kenya is starting on a new journey. I think that Parliament is going to stamp its authority in the process, as it has done, and ensure that Kenya rises up from the ashes, to become truly a democratic country. With those few remarks, I beg to second the Bill."
}