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{
    "id": 249212,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/249212/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 501,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Karua",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 166,
        "legal_name": "Martha Wangari Karua",
        "slug": "martha-karua"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, I rise to oppose this proposed amendment. As it has been said by hon. Muite, we are here discussing this Bill because we have accepted that rape is on the rise and that there is a menace that we need to arrest. It cannot be said that there is an equal menace of false allegations which we are seeking to arrest. That is not to say that there is no occasional case of malice in every prosecution. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, the framers of the Penal Code had envisaged this. If you look at the Penal Code, there is an offence of false information, false witness and perjury. When you swear by the Bible and you lie to the court, and it is proved that you have lied, there is the offence of perjury. The sentence provided for this offence in the Penal Code is a misdemeanour for three years and, in the worst case scenario, five years. I would, therefore, support the amendment to the amendment proposed by hon. Muite that, for the offence of giving false information, we rest at what is known to the Penal Code. Otherwise, hon. Members must appreciate that we have been doing a zero-sum game since this afternoon. If this amendment is passed, let us know that we will have consciously negated this Bill, which is seeking to arrest the rampant cases of rape. I repeat that there is no equal menace of false allegations. This is intended now to intimidate and stop people from reporting the offences of rape. Let us not pretend that there is an equal menace. Let us know that we are willingly killing this Bill. I beg to oppose."
}