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{
    "id": 403583,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/403583/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 370,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kabando wa Kabando",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 31,
        "legal_name": "Kabando wa Kabando",
        "slug": "kabando-kabando"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Bill and make a few remarks on specific sections. On Section 61(h), there is a clause of conducting an annual review of the performance and general public of the media and publish the results in, at least, two daily newspapers. That is well intended. However, like my colleagues have said, we anticipate that we are going to input verbally, but we will give written suggestions on amendments. Just to emphasize; it is meant to conduct an independent review of the performance and the public opinion. This is because if we just leave it to be internal, then it will be the Media Council giving internal opinion. We know they will have the responsibility to contract, but in legislation, it will be important to emphasize that, for purposes of ensuring that the opinion is cushioned. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, on Section 9 and perhaps this is a wakeup call for us; you see in every Bill, we are saying that members of a certain institution be it quasi-judicial, judicial, State corporation or an agency shall hold a degree from an university recognised in Kenya. Perhaps, there is a rhetorical question that we should be asking. As legislators, you remember last year in the Tenth Parliament we refused the requirement that Members of Parliament must have a degree, but we are telling bodies that are reporting to Cabinet Secretaries and Parliament that their membership should have a degree. So, even if you are a qualified veteran in a certain field, you cannot be nominated in this agency without a university degree. Perhaps, it is internal reflection that this Parliament needs to think about. You will see that emphasis is very much on social sciences, performing arts, journalism, law, advertising, public relations and religious communication. Are we saying, and this is in anticipation of amendment, that I am going to notify the Committee that somebody who is in medicine or engineering and actually does a medical journal or an engineering journal cannot qualify to sit in the Media Council? I think it is an omission and it is an overemphasis that journalism is all about social sciences. Increasingly, Kenyans and the developing world are getting captivated to journalism of science fiction and real science. In the Sunday Nation for instance, one of the most popular pages is Surgeon’s Diary of Dr. Dawood and it is something that we need to think about very seriously. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, like hon. Millie mentioned, we are voting ourselves out of responsibility. I can see she was a journalist. My colleague hon. Savula was a journalist. They came from journalism to Parliament and we have seen people coming from Parliament to the Judiciary but we are saying that if you have come to this Parliament or you got to be a member of the Senate or the county assemblies and you opt 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."
}