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{
    "id": 40265,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/40265/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 467,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Lands",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me a chance to contribute to this very important Motion. I want to say from the outset that I support this Motion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in supporting this Motion, I also plead to the House that the debate today will go to the annals of history as one of the most consequential debates in the life of this Parliament. I would urge that we give ears to our colleagues who are going to make contributions so that, in another ten or 20 years, if somebody would come back and try to look at what informed the approvals, he will be able to get it from the debate in this Parliament. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will move very fast because the time is very short. I think one of the things that the Committee should have used – and I think this was forgotten – is the Constitution that we have in place. This Constitution sets some standards in the Bill of Rights. In that Bill of Rights, I think the Committee, in looking at the deliberations that went on before them, should have been guided by some of the provisions of the Constitution. For example, on the freedom of expression, the Constitution is very clear – and this Constitution binds everybody, including this Parliament – that in any matter that involves the freedom of expression, that freedom of expression shall respect the rights and reputation of others. I am saying that because if this was the guiding principle in that Committee, they would have sat down and agreed on some rules and on how to collect evidence. Before you put a witness before you, you need to collect the evidence and interrogate that evidence. There is an Inquiries Act that is already in place. If there is any evidence that is adverse, then you give the other party notice, so that he is able to respond to it, in an organized fashion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other very important issue which I think, as we debate this matter, we keep on forgetting, is that amongst these principles, there is a balance. We must all the time read the Constitution as a whole and look at that"
}