Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 402969,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/402969/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 251,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the reason as to why hon. Esther Mathenge is very concerned is that this Bill seeks to do the exact opposite of these provisions. As Parliament, we cannot say anything other than point out the fact that what we are trying to do here is unconstitutional. In fact, some of the proposals contained in this Bill contravene the Constitution directly and by effect. One of the things that this Bill is trying to do is regulating how often the commission should sit. Some of the members of the commission are full time Commissioners. The Bill proposes that the commission has to give a 14 days’ notice of its sitting. What happens when they have to meet over very urgent issues? What we are honestly trying to do is killing this commission, which is a constitutional body. I know that the Police Service has very serious issues that we need to address as a House. We need to give them vehicles. We need to give them better salaries. We need to give them the wherewithal, so that they can perform their duties but this is not the way to go. The way to go is not by creating a monster in the name and person of Inspector General. It may serve their selfish interests now but this is a whole new Government. The other day I was in Government, now I am not. We do not know what obtains tomorrow. So, let us not make laws that serve very selfish interests. Let us make laws that serve this country. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as we made the current Constitution, we moved away from all-powerful positions, including an all-powerful presidency. What are we doing now? We are creating an all-powerful Inspector General of Police that is looking bigger than the presidency? Honestly, we respect the Inspector General and the Office of the Inspector General of Police but this is not the culture we want to create. I am a person who is proud to have been nurtured in the civil society. There is a terminology that we use here derogatively, namely, “activist”. I am happy that I am an activist. I come from an activism background even though I am a lawyer. I am happy because it is what brought me here. It is part of my activism that has brought a new Constitution in this country. I have no apologies for coming from that background. We cannot pass things that violate human rights standards and the Constitution because we are trying to cure the issues that we are dealing with. This is a situation where my good friend, PLO, said that we are trying to deal with a mosquito bite with a hummer. We need to relook at some of the proposed amendments. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, since there are several hon. Members who want to contribute to these provisions, I will not go into them in detail. I have actually made a very detailed analysis. All I can say in summary is that there are very many clauses that contravene the Constitution. It is not just one or two clauses. Most of these provisions are unconstitutional. Therefore, I do not support them."
}