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"id": 191008,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/191008/?format=api",
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Khaniri",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Information and Communications",
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"legal_name": "George Munyasa Khaniri",
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"content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to give the official Government response to the Motion that has been moved by my good friend, hon. C. Kilonzo, through which he is essentially seeking to be granted permission to introduce to this House a Bill to amend the Kenya Communications Commission Act of 1998, so that there is a provision for all mobile subscribers to register with the providers. At the very outset, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, let me take this opportunity to thank the hon. Member for coming up with this very, very important Motion. I want to thank him because he is thinking in the same line as my Ministry. I will explain that in due course. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, during the post election period, we all witnessed how technological development can be negatively used in a society. We saw how a very noble and good idea of mobile telephony was used to spread hate messages amongst communities, and we all know the consequences that we faced due to that. Therefore, all I want to say is that, as we embrace these new technologies, we must, in turn, put down relevant legislation to guide them. We must lay the legal framework through which these technologies can be applied or, rather, operated. It is in this regard that I said that the hon. Member who moved this Motion is thinking in the same direction as my Ministry. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as hon. Chanzu very well elaborated, the law that is presently guiding the operations of the Information Communications Technology (ICT) Sector, which is the Kenya Communications Commission Act of 1998, is a law that was enacted ten years ago and it has, obviously, been overtaken by events and cannot adequately address the changes that have taken place in the ICT industry. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is in this regard that my Ministry, in collaboration with other stakeholders - that is the operators, regulators, civil society and even the Parliamentary Committee that handles this particular sector - went for a retreat during the last Parliament and 1544 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 2, 2008 drafted the Information and Communication Bill, which was presented to this House during the Ninth Parliament, and it was withdrawn to be sent to the Attorney-General for refinement. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I was coming to this House this morning, I talked to the Attorney-General, who confirmed to me that the Bill is ready for publication. I want to give assurance to this House that, in the next few weeks, I will be moving the Information Communication Technology Bill in this House. So, although I support the whole idea and concept of mobile phone subscribers registering with the mobile providers, I would want to appeal to my good friend, hon. C. Kilonzo, to hold his horses. I would like to request the House not to grant him permission to move the amendment on this particular Act for two reasons. One, we are bringing the Information Communication Technology Bill, which is essentially going to replace the Kenya Communications Commission Act of 1998. So, it will be duplication of work for him to start making an amendment on an Act which is going to be repealed very, very soon. The second reason, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, is what was said by the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, hon. Rege that, even in the current Act that we have, that is the Kenya Communication Act of 1998, there is already a provision. If you can refer to the Act, which I have a copy here, Section 23(1) is very clear and it says:- \"Pursuant to this Section, the Communications Commission of Kenya has placed a licence condition upon all basic voice service operators to provide directory services to the public. The directories should include, at minimum, names, addresses and telephone numbers of subscribers\". So, as I speak now, even before we bring the new ICT Bill, I have instructed the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) to ensure that this law is enforced. I think it was a lapse, as one hon. Member put it - I think it is the former Permanent Secretary - on the side of CCK because the provision was already there. I want to assure this August House that even before we bring the Bill that I have stated, all the new providers that are coming into market, for example, ECONET, which is rolling out in September, will have to abide by the provisions of this section. Therefore, as much as my Ministry supports the idea of mobile phones subscribers registering with mobile service providers, I would want to request that hon. C. Kilonzo not to be granted permission to introduce this Bill because the Ministry has already taken an initiative. The hon. Member will have a chance to look at this Bill. If there are any inclusions that he feels strongly about; that are not provided for in the Bill, he will be at liberty to bring those particular amendments during the Committee Stage. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I, therefore, oppose the idea of granting the hon. Member permission to introduce a Bill on the reasons that I have given that the Ministry is already doing that."
}