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{
    "id": 292875,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/292875/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 496,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Midiwo has given very noble suggestions but I would just want him to explain why in clause 4 he is not providing for a minimum sentence and, instead, allows discretion. The challenge we have in this country is because we make laws as decorative things. We do not make laws, so that they can be implemented, be followed, and be punitive. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you notice, therefore, that if you give some room for discretion then people get away with murder. I am almost sure that the person who caused the death of the young Britton got away with murder; if you look at the punitive measures in the Traffic Act you will see that they are actually laughable. You cause the death of a young person and you get a way of a reprimand or, at most, a sentence of three months. This discretion should be taken away from the magistrate and we should provide for minimum sentences. We should be using the words, “not less than ten years” instead of “a maximum of ten years”. I would also want to indicate that I want to thank Mr. Midiwo for providing that licenses should be denied to persons who have been found to be guilty. In many countries this is done. So in this country we should do it. I know in places like the United States of America (USA) people cannot even park in the wrong place. However, in Kenya you see a place marked for persons with disability and you go there and park. In the USA when you come back in two minutes, your car will not be clamped but you will pay such a hefty penalty that you will never repeat it. We make laws so that we follow them. One other thing I would want to add under clause 6 is that Mr. Midiwo should consider bringing an amendment that prohibits not just driving within petrol stations and pavements, but also prohibits driving on the wrong side of the road. There are a lot of times that we see people driving on the wrong side of the road. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to applaud Mr. Midiwo for providing, under clause 9, for prescription of speed limits. This is especially good for school going children. We have seen so many times young children killed on their way to school because somebody was over-speeding at a place where there should be a speed limit. Road signs should be displayed very prominently outside school gates and places where children frequent. I would also want to indicate that it is important that the highways authority as provided for in clause 10 must give notice of closure of roads. I would want to also add that the other thing that they should give notice of is when they are doing road very heavy repairs. There was a day I was traveling from Kisumu to Lwanda Kotieno in Eng. Gumbo’s constituency then suddenly we just saw vehicles driving from the opposite direction with blaring horns and people running; then suddenly there was a major blast. Because we had raised a Motion in this Parliament when I had forgotten the name of the President of Uganda, I actually thought that the President was coming for some of us because we come from around that neighbourhood. There was such a big blast. When we reached there, it was a blast of a level that could cause deaths, yet there was absolutely no notice. If we were driving at a very high speed--- I thought actually we were being bombed. Signs are something which people who repair roads must provide. Many of us should know because we are doing a lot of infrastructure development now. You could be driving and there is a diversion that is going to take away two hours from your journey and you come upon it suddenly; you have no notice in the newspapers"
}