Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 28543,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/28543/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 257,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. George Nyamweya",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, as much as I decline to agree with all the speakers, there is one thing that we must make abundantly clear. Nobody needs to persuade anybody else about the importance of this Constitution. Nobody should even try and suggest that those of us who may rise to point out certain things are in any way opposed to the implementation. The reason why we moved to get a new Constitution was so that we can learn to discipline ourselves and live within the rule of law. There are procedures. I rose earlier on. There is a Constitution upon which the Standing Orders of the House are derived. The Standing Orders require that all Bills, after the First Reading, must be committed to the departmental committee responsible for the Bills. The reason why the Constitution provides that is such that members of the public can interrogate and participate in that formal manner through a Committee of the House. It is not enough to say that, outside Parliament, there have been seminars and workshops and that these things have been debated there and, therefore, Parliament must simply do what it is required to do. The duty and responsibility of every Member of Parliament is to scrutinize and satisfy themselves that what they will append their approval to is a legislation that will conform to their conscience and the desires of the people and the Constitution itself. We cannot persuade ourselves to pass bad laws simply because we think we are running out of time. Kenya is not running out of time. Recently, I was looking at one of the Bills that have been passed in this House; the Supreme Court Act. I may wish to point out to you, the House and the country that, in that particular Act it actually reads this way: “The Supreme Act”. I asked the Parliamentary Service Commission and they told me that, that was correct. Obviously, we wanted to call it: “The Supreme Court Act”, but the Act itself reads: “The Supreme Act.” Therefore, we are required to bring an amendment through the House and yet, the Act that is supposed to guide the Supreme Court is already wrong. Now, we are being asked, without the benefit of any committee scrutinizing these things, to rush all these things so that Kenyans can think we are wonderful people and nobody is doing anything to delay this. Mr. Speaker, Sir, among the things that the House Business Committee and the Leader of Government Business are asking us to do is to waive the Anti-Corruption Bill pursuant to Standing Order 111. That is the one that refers Bills to Committees. So, we are being told: “Waive these things. Do not use the Standing Orders. Do not use the Committees. Trust us. We have sat together in the Grand Coalition Cabinet and we suggest to you these things are safe.” Therefore, Members of Parliament are being asked to put their faith blindly in whatever has happened there. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in good conscience, I cannot be persuaded to follow a route which has so many dangers. Therefore, I stand to oppose this Motion."
}