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{
    "id": 204217,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/204217/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 141,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Arungah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 292,
        "legal_name": "Julius Odenyo Arungah",
        "slug": "julius-arungah"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker Sir. It means that the Assistant Minister was not listening to my opening remarks. I said that we must approach this subject with sobriety because we must give a balanced view. We must not create the impression that it is one sided. Therefore, it is important that we have a Select Committee that will soberly look into the status quo, at the way things are so that we can have a balanced distribution of these positions. I cannot do that without giving a balanced view of what is on the ground. So, I do not see how I am opposing this Motion. The necessity of this Motion--- I am sure that Mr. Ojode would have raised this Motion in the year 2003 when this Parliament came into session. But the general feeling is that since the NARC Government came into power, there was a systemic attempt to replace people from certain positions. This Government has done a lot but the issue of ethnicity could easily bring it down because that is the feeling out there. If hon. Ojode would have known that the practice that is in place at the moment would have taken place, he would have raised this matter when this Parliament started. So, that is the perception on the ground; that appointments tend to favour one ethnic community as he said. We know that our Constitution, unfortunately, is fairly silent on how this matter should be addressed. The Constitution talks about non-discrimination on tribal lines when you are making appointments. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, perhaps, it will behove this House to put measures in place, so that we can provide it in law on how appointments can be made. As currently placed, there is no guideline given, for example, on how many people need to be appointed or what criteria 3836 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES September 12, 2007 we need to use. This ethnicity is a factor now. I think it will be necessary for us to come up with a piece of legislation where we provide that if so many people are being employed, the ethnic composition of this country be taken into account. At the moment, we know that there is nothing to address that issue. It is also one of the suggestions, perhaps the Select Committee, will have to take into account. It will also help to protect those who are in positions because there is a tendency in this country that when you occupy a position of responsibility, to get appeals from your area brothers and sisters who will petition you and insist that because you are in that position you must help them by offering them employment opportunities. However, if we had that law in place, it would even help to protect those people in positions. This is because if you do not give these jobs to your tribesman and you are in that position, you will become an enemy of that community. So, if we had a law it would provide those people in positions of responsibilities---"
}