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"id": 197411,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. M. Kilonzo",
"speaker_title": "The Member for Mbooni",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very crucial Bill in the history of our country. First of all, I want to join my colleagues in paying special tribute to His Excellency Kofi Annan and the Team of Eminent Persons who have helped this country to come to terms with the problems that we have faced in the last two months. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay special tribute to His Excellency the President and Mr. Odinga, the Prime Minister-designate, for offering leadership at a time when it was required so much. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it will not be fair if I do not mention the teams consisting of Mr. Samoei and the others who joined us at Serena Hotel where we used to spend long hours debating this. Above all, I want to pay special tribute to Mr. Orengo, the Attorney-General, Mr. Wako and Messrs. Kibaara and Karori who joined us in the Attorney-General's Office in drafting this law, which I beg to support this afternoon. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other words for \"Constitution\" is what we call basic law. Basic law that becomes a hindrance to peace and security is basic law whose time for amendment has come. As we all know, a Constitution or basic law which is too rigid, faces the problem of having to grapple with difficulties and obstacles that may become very insurmountable for a country. The Bill that we are presenting to this House this afternoon, apart from being firstly, substantive in creating the position of Prime Minister and two deputies. It is also enabling in the sense that it is enabling Parliament, immediately after it comes into force, to pass a law in order to meet the requirements of Kenyans. It is hardly surprising that political analysts and a large number of lawyers may have confused what we are doing this afternoon with the need for a substantive and overall review of the Constitution. I would like to ask a rhetorical question, if you allow me. That question is: \"What is law if in following it the country dies?\" Therefore, the time has come and I would like to encourage hon. Members and the country at large, to look at the eight agreements that Ms. Karua, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs has tabled in the House. These are agreements that go to the debate that has driven and informed this legislation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you will notice that the amendments that we are proposing, in fact, suggest that there may be a time when the law that would be required to be passed may not be in force. This is partly because, as will become apparent, your negotiators created a certain clause to facilitate for what this country is doing this afternoon. In fact, if you allow me to use an example, I would like to say, without any doubt, that in passing this amendment, we are merely giving the country crutches so that it can limp to the next target which is the creation of a new Constitution because the amendments we are proposing today are only targeting the Executive. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are many other institutions that will require to be addressed and I hope that the spirit that is being demonstrated this afternoon will be demonstrated when we will be debating a new Constitution and the reforms in some of those institutions. That is because if we do not do so, we will be failing our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I want to encourage this honourable House to accept this Bill. I beg to support. Thank you."
}