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{
    "id": 354220,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/354220/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 81,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Member for Runyenjes",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "(Hon. (Ms.) Mbarire): Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I want to first and foremost thank the Selection Committee for finding it necessary to amend the Standing Orders so that we can have more Members belonging to least one Committee. It is important that they do not just look at the numbers or the membership of the Committees, but they also look at the mandate given to each committee because some committees have a broad mandate. It is important that new committees are formed, so that, at least, every Member of this House belongs to a committee. I also hope that the Leader of the Majority and the chief whips of the various parties have listened to the concerns of the Members. First of all, it does not come out well when it seems that certain Members keep appearing in committee lists every so often when others are not even in a single committee. Every Member is here in her or his own right. They are capable. It is important that before you nominate Members to second or third committees, you ensure that every Member in this House belongs to a committee. Most of the work of this Parliament will not be done on this Floor, but in committees. So, unless you make good use of the brains in this House, and all of us here have professional backgrounds, people will be left out and discriminated against. I am happy we are politicians and we are able to speak out. I hope that, that issue has been taken seriously by the people concerned, so that we can see a more representative nomination of Members to committees. Finally, I want to remind the committee that is looking at the Standing Orders that we expect, as Women Members in this House, to be given our rightful role in committees. First of all, it is clear that, at least, we must have some committees chaired by women Members. We are not saying that we be given as tokenism, we are saying that we be recognized as women Members of Parliament, who are here in our own right. We are also saying that you should not take us to committees that are seen to be junior committees. We can chair important committees. I am saying this because I know that many times in the history of this Parliament, women are taken to the Catering Committee. We are not here to cater for anybody. We are here to make serious laws and policies for this country."
}