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"id": 247420,
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"speaker_name": "Ms. Karua",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs",
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"legal_name": "Martha Wangari Karua",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to second this Bill. In the title, the Bill clearly states:- \"It is an Act of Parliament to amend and consolidate the law relating to national museums and heritage, and to provide for the establishment, control, management and development of national museums, and the identification, protection, conservation and transmission of the cultural and natural heritage of Kenya, and to repeal the Antiquities and Monuments Act and the National Museums Act and for connected purposes\". Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is a matter of public concern that, so far, we have not been able to develop our museums. We have not been able to consolidate our laws to develop and manage our cultural and natural heritage. Like many countries that underwent colonialism, some of our antiquities were illegally taken abroad by our former colonial masters. They are lying out there in museums abroad. We have not been able to take reasonable steps to trace and repatriate them. That is because we do not have an adequate legal framework to do so. I, therefore, welcome this Bill. It is a step in the right direction. But I would like to point out to my colleagues that we need to, specifically, enlarge the mandate of the national museums as set out in Clause 4 of the Bill. We should include another clause which will, specifically, give the mandate of tracing and repatriating those antiquities that are part of our heritage from wherever they are. We have seen countries like South Africa being able to repatriate antiquities that were held in France and other countries. Likewise, we know that many antiquities belonging to Kenya are held in various museums abroad - including Britain - our former colonial master. It is, therefore, important that we give that specific mandate to the museums. The other day, 1288 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 13, 2006 there were celebrations in Nandi, at the home of a great Kenyan - the late Samoei Koitalel. I recall reading in the newspapers that his head may be in the United Kingdom (UK). We want to see the responsibility of repatriating such remains, otherwise referred to as antiquities, given to the museums. We would like to see a national institution taking the responsibility of repatriation. We should not leave that responsibility to the communities concerned. We would like to see the repatriation of any other cultural and natural heritage that was stolen by foreign powers. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, just like this Bill indicates, we need to have a legal framework that can control such cultural or natural heritage. There should be a legal framework that can enhance our management, development, conservation and transmission of the same. As it is, we have seen people taking advantage of our culture for commercial purposes. That is done continuously by some of our local settler communities. There is need to have a body that will oversee all that. That way, we will not be exploited unnecessarily. We have also seen foreigners doing the same way. That needs to be looked into so that, as a nation, we can ensure that we conserve what our children and grandchildren will see as part of their cultural and natural heritage. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have read this Bill and I urge hon. Members to take an interest in it. They should suggest ways of strengthening it where necessary. That way, we shall pass this Bill and have an adequate legal framework. When you look at the Memorandum of Objects and Reasons, the law relating to the establishment of museums and their functions will now be set out very clearly in a better and more elaborate manner than before. Part III deals with financial provisions. We know that, if our museums are properly managed, we can raise revenue. We can use the same revenue to manage, develop and conserve what they are looking after. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have visited museums in Egypt and United States of America (USA). One cannot help but admire the manner in which they conserve their natural and cultural heritage. It is, therefore, very important that we, in Kenya, arrest the situation before it is too late. If we do not conserve what we have now, bearing in mind that time keeps on changing, we shall have nothing to show in future. It may be too late to engage in the exercise of conservation and repatriation where necessary. This Bill also provides that the annual financial reports of the affairs of the museums be laid before this august House by the Minister concerned. That is important because museums are relevant to our life as a nation. It is important to brief this House every year, so that we can contribute to what is happening. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have looked at the Bill in general terms. I commend it and urge hon. Members to pass it with the necessary amendments to strengthen it. It will expand the mandate of museums and consolidate the various Acts that are there at the moment. It will also enable this important task, which was supposed to commence a long time ago, to commence now. With those few remarks, I beg to second."
}