Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 186346,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/186346/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 254,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Karua",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 166,
        "legal_name": "Martha Wangari Karua",
        "slug": "martha-karua"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. May I begin by profusely thanking the hon. Members for their valuable contributions and for the support they have given to this negotiated Bill. I am actually touched and I know Kenyans are going to have a renewal in their faith in Parliament being able to give them a new Constitution. When we passed the National Accord and Reconciliation Act and the Constitutional amendment thereof, we all committed ourselves and became party to the agreements signed by our principals. The real promise to Kenyans was to deliver a new Constitution and institution to them. We are on the journey to that. I would like to say that the valuable contributions given on the Bill will be taken into account during the Committee Stage so that we can strengthen this Bill. I want to plead with the hon. Members for their understanding. Regarding the Committee of Experts, the reason we put in foreigners, is not that Kenya is short of experts. In fact, we supply most of Africa and both Europe and America with Kenyan experts. But because we have come from a past of such intense disagreements even when we disagreed over the Referendum, it was never on real issues. It was our political differences. It, therefore, does not hurt, that was the thinking of the team, to have a few friends sitting with us so that we moderate the advice that is going to be given by the Committee. I want to allay the fears of the hon. Members. The Committee is not going to be the decision-makers. It is the people's representatives who will make decisions on what to accept as the Draft Constitution. I want to agree with those who have said that we should forget regionalism and satisfying ethnic blocs. Even if we tried, we will end up maybe with a Committee of a 100. The Committee of experts will not represent any sector. They will merely be advisors and the decision will belong to the people's representatives and to the people of Kenya through their participation, which is in-built in this process. We will take into account all the issues that the hon. Members have raised at the Committee Stage. We hope to move through this process through a broad consensus. For those who asked: \"What will happen if there is no consensus?\" If there is no consensus on any issue, we are hoping that we will not have such a situation--- It is possible to isolate an issue and give it a timeline in the new document when it can be revisited. But the agreement is there; that we should only subject the people to a Referendum on things upon which there has been broad consensus to avoid dividing Kenyans and to avoid having a confusion that does not have the acceptability of Kenyans. Finally, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on the issue of the Select Committee, yes, I do agree with Members that we need a specific provision setting up the Committee. It is not necessary to wait for a Motion to be moved on the Select Committee. We will build that mechanism and we can replicate by taking the clause in the defunct Act that set up the Select Committee. Let us have August 6, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2427 no fears. Committees of Parliament do take into account always the party strength and we all agree that we should also take into account other considerations, including gender. On the deposit of Kshs2 million for those who challenge the Referendum, when you are challenging the Referendum, you are challenging a collective decision of Kenyans. So, if the threshold appears a little higher, it is because the challenge is to a decision made by the rest of Kenyans. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is envisaged that an individual would not do that on their own without consulting with, at least, a few others. Therefore, I am also pleading that we see that amount of Kshs2 million not as high in view of the magnitude of the matter. But we are open to enriching the discussion with the Members and also the Committee before we bring in the amendments. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I once again, want to thank the Members. I am happy that we are keeping hope alive for the majority of Kenyans who want to see a total transformation. With those few remarks, I beg to move."
}