Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 403524,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/403524/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 311,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Gichigi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1909,
        "legal_name": "Samuel Kamunye Gichigi",
        "slug": "samuel-kamunye-gichigi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this particular Bill. As my colleagues who have already spoken have indicated, we have issues with certain provisions in the Bill and it is only in order that we prepare to amend them. I am happy that you are encouraging the various hon. Members contributing to this Bill to prepare their amendments rather than just lament on its inadequacies. I am a strong advocate of media freedom. I know that, as a matter of fact, democracy cannot be sustained unless we have freedom of the media. We would probably not be in this House today if we did not have a free media. Given some of the positions that we have taken in society would have led a dictatorship to prevent us from assuming leadership in this country. As it has been indicated, Article 34 of the Constitution is the bedrock of freedom of the media. Sub-Article (5) is very categorical that Parliament shall enact legislation that provides for the establishment of a body which shall be independent of control by Government, political interest or commercial interests, reflects the interests of sections of the society and sets media standards and regulates and monitors compliance with those standards. Having a look at this particular Bill, it is clear that we must reduce the powers that have been conferred on the Cabinet Secretary. While there is a very good list of the institutions that are going to provide the members to the panel that will select members of the Media Council, it is clear that the Cabinet Secretary has not been controlled on who to appoint. This particular provision says:- “The election panel referred to under sub-section (2) shall comprise of 13 members drawn from the following organisations---” The list starts with the Kenya Union of Journalists and goes all the way to two persons nominated by schools of journalism. Other than the last nominations, the Cabinet The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}