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{
    "id": 307114,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/307114/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 157,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wamalwa",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 148,
        "legal_name": "Eugene Ludovic Wamalwa",
        "slug": "eugene-wamalwa"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Petitions to Parliament (Procedure) Bill, Bill No.34 of 2012 be read a Second Time. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as you have rightly observed, this Bill largely embraces the procedures and traditions we have already set out in our Standing Orders allowing the public to petition Parliament. This particular Bill seeks to give effect to Article 119 of the Constitution on the right to petition Parliament and to make provisions for the procedure for the exercise of the right pursuant to that article and to enhance public participation in the parliamentary and legislative process and for connected purposes. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Bill is also important in terms of empowering Kenyans and embracing the values set out in Article 10 of our Constitution, which requires that the public participates in the process of making laws and, directly petition Parliament. What we need to do is to lay down a clear procedure for that purpose. Through this Bill, we are largely embracing our Standing Orders. Looking at the Bill, one will agree that it is a very short one. I want to thank hon. Members for agreeing that we deal with it first. Under Part I of the Bill, clauses 1 and 2 provide for the Short Title and the Interpretations. Clause 3 of the Bill provides for the form in which a petition should be presented to Parliament. All members of the public will be guided to present their petitions to this House through the particular form set out under Clause 3. Most importantly, Clause 4 of the Bill outlines the procedure for presenting a petition, which should be formulated in accordance with Clause 3. Mr. Speaker, Sir, clauses 5 and 6 of the Bill provide for the manner in which petitions will be considered by the relevant House Committees, and the manner of registration of all petitions that will be brought to the House. This is a very important procedure. It will open this House to all Kenyans who may have serious petitions they would want to bring to this House to do so in the manner prescribed in this Bill. Through the petition system, this House has received several petitions. I had the privilege of presenting before this House, a petition on the freedom fighters of Kenya; the Mau Mau. It is a pity that for the petitions that we had presented to Parliament, we did not have a follow-up mechanism to ensure that Kenyans who petitioned this House got responses within the prescribed time. According to our Standing Orders, after referral of a petition to a Committee of this House, we are supposed to have the relevant Committee report back to the House and a response from the Government given within 21 days. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am aware that one of the oldest petitions that are pending before this House is the one I brought about the Mau Mau freedom fighters. Last weekend, I visited Nyeri County, where I had the privilege of visiting the site where a young freedom fighter by the name of Dedan Kimathi was shot by British security agents and captured. The Mau Mau freedom fighters, who fought for our freedom, and who"
}