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{
    "id": 403535,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/403535/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 322,
    "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": "Matrimonial Property Bill the only thing that poisoned it was the word “joint”. Indeed, the Bible says the little foxes that spoil our vineyard. So, there are some little foxes here that are spoiling the vineyard of this Bill. So, I will be willing to support it with amendments. I know when we were in the constitutional review process right from Bomas the issue of media regulation was very contentious then and at that point I was a very strong proposer for State control of the media and it is surprising coming from a civil society. However, the reason I did that was because that time the media was absolutely rogue. The media has since styled up. It is not absolutely rogue anymore. Indeed, I remember and it is on record that I said when PLO talked about the issue of not responding to a mosquito bite with a hammer, that you cannot also tie a rogue elephant with a shoe string. Right now, I do not think the media is a rogue elephant but I think there is still a lot that needs to be done for self regulation of the media, borrowing for instance from professions like law. We are lawyers and we have been able to self regulate and some of the bad members of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) have been disciplined by it. So, indeed, I am a very strong proponent now of self regulation by the media. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would want to say that the media in this country needs to know that a lot of Kenyans have faith in it, more than they have faith even in God. That is for some of them. It is actually a fact. There are a lot of Kenyans who have more faith in the media than they have faith in God and because of that they need to understand that they can either unify the country or breakdown the country. In critical moments, the media has disappointed and indeed it is very unfortunate that sometimes when you raise it you become a marked person. I want to congratulate the hon. Member who is very brave to indicate the unspoken that the media would not want you to speak. In this House we have been accused of many things and when we are wrong, we accept it. So, even when we correct the mediam they should not pinpoint a Member and say: “That is the bad one who talks bad of us.” We are all for a better country. We are all for freedom of the media but we want the media to also show that when they are given the opportunity to self regulate, that they indeed are going to be able to do a worthy job. Therefore, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for me, I would want to say that in the definition of the word “journalist”, I think that is one of the areas we need to bring an amendment. This is because as it obtains, the way the word “journalist” is defined here, even a blogger is a journalist and now with the internet there are too many bloggers around masquerading as journalists. So, we must protect the noble profession of journalism from all these people who are coming and again there are many Members who have spoken to it. You have everybody who is able to pick a pen and paper calling themselves journalists. So, there must be a standard upon which we judge who a journalist is. I know there are Members who have spoken here and said they are journalists. I almost became one but God decided otherwise. After I did my first degree in law, I was actually accepted in the School of Journalism but I got two scholarships. One was in Masters in Law and the other was in Journalism. So, I opted for the Masters in Law. I am a writer. So, I write a lot. So, I am still a neighbour to journalism. I am not a journalist. If I said here I am a journalist, I would be one of the quack ones because I am not. I do not 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."
}