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{
"id": 225856,
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"speaker_name": "Prof. Ojiambo",
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"legal_name": "Julia Auma Ojiambo",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Nutritionist and Dieticians Bill, 2007, be read a Second Time. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a Bill for an Act of Parliament to make provisions for the training, registrations and licensing of nutritionists and dieticians; to provide for the regulation of their standards and practice; to ensure their effective participation in matters relating to nutrition and dietetics, and for connected purposes. This is another Bill that we had discussed in this House at the end of last year and was awaiting Third Reading. It was merely stopped before going through because the last day that we were supposed to have had the Third Reading, it was the day that we were moving the Motion of Adjournment. There were a lot of other issues to be discussed that afternoon and, therefore, it lapsed. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill had also been looked at. It had also received the Committee amendments and approval and had been discussed by the Ministry of Health. We have gone through it once more with those relevant organisations and if there are any issues, they will be brought at the Third Reading, in the Committee Stage. I want to say that, again, the Committee on Health went through this Bill very comprehensively and brought in the aspects that this country would be interested to see put into practice. This Bill is very urgent because this country has never had any law or regulations to guide the nutrition and dietetics practices of this country, yet this country suffers a lot from malnutrition, hunger, famine and diseases brought about by poor feeding. We have inherited a lot of diseases that were once regarded as diseases of the affluent nations. Our country today suffers heart and kidney diseases, and those cancers that we do not know where they come from simply because our feeding practices and the standards of the contents of our foods have not been determined by the scientists in this country. We need the nutritionists in matters relating to food eating, digestion and conversion of food substances in who we are. What we eat is what we are! Food also has its own expert who is called a nutritionist. We need that person in this country to set standards; to make us be healthy human beings. That person should help us to plan for our optimum requirements and guide us as to what is good for individuals, various ages, healthy and sick bodies. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the nutritionist in this country has not been recognised by profession. That is why we are saying that it is a pity that we were not able to pass this Bill last December. It has also taken another three months waiting. We would like to have it passed as soon as possible. The Bill, as we have said, has gone through and also given provisions on administrative arrangements on what we have called examination and registration. There has been a suggestion that we call the examinations board an accreditation board. There are areas that, I think, the Minister for Health will bring up during the third stage as amendments. According to our discussions and looking through the reprinted version, we have agreed that those are necessary amendments and we have no problem with them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, like I have said, I feel that this is a Bill that need not, again, be repeated but that it moves on to the Third Reading; and that we can handle the areas of amendments as amendments to the Bill during the Third Reading. With those few remarks, I beg to move and ask Eng. Okundi to second."
}