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{
    "id": 201653,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/201653/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 113,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Odoyo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 340,
        "legal_name": "Peter Ochieng Odoyo",
        "slug": "peter-odoyo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me substitute the name \"Peter Odoyo\" for the name \"Gor Sungu\". One could be recreating the hon. Peter Odoyo, MP for Nyakach, as he lies that he is doing research into diseases. I am, therefore, appealing to the Minister that as we put this Bill together, its safeguards must go a step further. International researchers come to this country and say that they are doing research at the museums into AIDS using baboons. They go to places like Rarieda and do research among the population. Vaccine tests are also carried out. This is an issue which needs to be put to the fore. Coming to that, again, I note that the Director of Medical Services will not be a member of the proposed board. I appeal to the Minister to re-consider this very much, because the chief public health officer is the Director of Medical Services. He should, really, consider having a much higher level of representation on the board, because amongst the objects of the Bill is the safety of human health. Human health is both plural and individual. We must protect the individual in order to protect the society. The achievement of a high level of protection of the environment is a vital objective, which has been given to this particular board. So, I would urge the Minister to consider re-defining this particular objective on the environment, or what, indeed, forms the environment. Everything and anything can form the environment. Perhaps, the Minister will take his time to go to the first pages, which have got 4316 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 3, 2007 definitions and tell us exactly what he had in mind, so that we capture the spirit of what he wants. He should in particular tell us whether this is to do with the in vitro nucleic acid techniques or DNA, or whether he is more interested in the fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic family. We need to understand exactly where the Minister is going with this system. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I come towards the end of my contribution, I wish to draw the attention of the House to what I consider to be an anomaly in this particular Bill. That is on the establishment of the Appeals Board. The Appeals Board will be chaired by a Judge of the High Court of Kenya and three other persons with experience in biology, environment and social sciences. At the moment, our system is that we have lawyers who are mainly arts-based. Those are people who studied history, geography and economics. Few of our lawyers today have a scientific background. That is mainly because law in Kenya is studied as a first degree whereas in India or the United States of America (USA), law is studied as a second degree. Somebody could have started with Biology or Mathematics and became a lawyer through a second degree. Indeed, I question the idea of having a High Court Judge as the Chairperson of the Appeals Board---"
}