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{
    "id": 22064,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/22064/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 361,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Lands",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I beg to second and support this Bill. First of all, I would like to congratulate the Minister for the work he has done in reforming the police not only by engaging in the exercise of carrying out the reform as a consequence of the promulgation of the new Constitution, but even before we started the Constitution making process, the Minister was already engaged in this important work of trying to bring reforms to the police. This is a very important phase in our history because in the past years there was belief that part of the reduction or restriction of the democratic space was due to the fact that the police operated as a power unto themselves and did not operate under the law. Because this Bill essentially deals with the establishment of a Commission which falls under Chapter 15 of the Constitution, there is not really much that one would like to say at this stage. Probably, in the consequent Bill that will come, one may have a lot more to say. However, I would like to say that without this Bill being enacted into law, it will be very difficult for the Minister and the Government to move ahead in carrying out the reforms that are required in order to completely overhaul the police force. In a nutshell, what we are doing by debating this Bill, and if we succeed in having it enacted, is not really to establish the Commission, because the Commission is already established by the Constitution. The powers of this Commission are already contained in Article 246(3) of the Constitution. The powers, mandate and responsibilities of the Commission include recruitment and appointment of persons to hold or act in offices in the service. The Commission also determines promotions and transfers within the National Police Service, and also exercises disciplinary control over and removes persons holding or acting in offices within the service. In addition to those powers, we are giving this Commission additional powers as commanded by the Constitution, because this legislation is as a consequence of the provisions which are contained in Article 246(3) of the Constitution. I hasten to add that this Commission falls under Article 249 in Chapter 15. This Article which deals with the objects, authority and funding of commissions and independent offices says that the commissions and holders of independent offices are subject only to this Constitution and the law."
}