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"id": 216147,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. M. Kilonzo",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not need information from hon. Wamwere, if you allow me, so that I can continue making my contribution. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, looking at this Bill, you will find that for an inexplicable reason, in 2007, the people of the Republic of Kenya want to define what a journalist is when everybody in the world is moving away from that. I would like to remind the country that nowadays, we are reading blogs and bloggers, news are being published by people on the internet, people who, probably, have never even been inside a classroom for the purposes of journalism. The country is also attempting to define the media and, thereby, restricting itself and end up being unable to take advantage of modern technologies as they move forward. This is a law that could have been contemplated 50 years ago or even before the Bible was written. I think the time to reject this law is now, because it is taking us backwards. We want our citizens, if they are in Subukia, if they see an incident or something happening in Subukia Forest, to go to the nearest computer cafe, publish a story and it is published and quoted by The Financial Times in London, because that is the way the world is developing. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will have noticed that in Clause 5, the Bill is attempting to define the functions of the Council. As you know, once you define a function, the opposite is that any function not included there is deemed to have been left out. You cannot import functions that are outside the definitions of the functions of the Council. I want to remind the Government with humility and very, very humbly that Clause 5 should not even be contemplated because the functions of the media and journalists should be left for themselves to determine. If they want to become investigative reporters, if they want to--- If you remember, a journalist finding his way into the bedroom of the Queen in England in the pursuit of a story--- You do not want to close the door after the horses have gone. The world has moved on, and the time to recognize that the media and the exchange of information is what is driving the global scene in the world right now. And yet, I see the Government attempting to say, if you look at Clause 5(b), they are saying:- \"The functions of a Council are- (b) promote and protect freedom and independence of the media;\" That is already protected by Section 79 of the Constitution and to the extent that this definition is shallow, it is completely in contravention of the Constitution! The Constitution, as framed, is superior to this attempt at defining the functions of the whatever! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at Clause 5(g), and that is the reason I say this law must be resisted with everything in our power. Clause 5(g) is saying:- \"The functions of the Council are to- (g) ensure the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the performance of their duties;\" Have you ever heard of anything like that? Why would journalists require a Council for their protection when Section 79 has assured them that the only way that right can be taken away is if they consent the taking away. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir---"
}