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{
    "id": 407617,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/407617/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 216,
    "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": "Intelligence Service. I do not know whether, because they are dealing with security issues, they are so secure that even us, who are supposed to pass the amendments, should not know what the amendments entail. That is the approach they seem to be taking. We need to know what we are amending. I want to mention very quickly some of the amendments that I do not like, starting with the definition of “Cabinet Secretary” under Cap.2 vis-a-vis the new Constitution. I wonder what mischief we are trying to cure by removing the Director of Public Prosecutions from the Advocates Disciplinary Committee, under Cap.16. On the Kenya Airports Authority, I know that we are trying to make Kisumu an inland port. I do not know whether there is mischief but it will be good. However, I would like to know what we are trying to achieve by this amendment since I am not an expert in that area. If it is a good thing, I will support it. We do not just oppose for the sake of opposing. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, another amendment that I have a problem with, which I spoke to, is on the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, which is seeking to deny suspects the right to bail. The Constitution says that we can limit the right to bail but when we do so, it must conform to Article 24(2) of the Constitution, which says that no limitation shall derogate from the core right. What this amendment is seeking to do is derogation from the core right that is provided in the Constitution. Again, I have noticed that we are making an amendment to change the name of “the Mohamedan Marriage and Divorce Act” to “the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act”. I do not oppose but it will be nice for us to understand why. Under the Prisons Act, I would like to know why the Government is removing remission, when the Constitution acknowledges the power of mercy that the President has. The second part of the amendment to the National Hospital Insurance Fund makes some sense because it brings the issue of competitiveness, but the first part of the amendment does not make any legal sense. I may not explain myself very well because I have very little time. We had opposed the amendments to the Air Passenger Act in January but it has been sneaked back through this Bill. The amendment is basically increasing revenue. There is nothing wrong with doing this but we need to understand that, that is what we are doing. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, why are we limiting the application of the Public Officers Ethics Act to State officers, and not to all Government officers? Why are we allowing counterfeiting outside Kenya? Why are we removing key agencies from the Kenya Copyright Board like the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board? Who wants to import counterfeits unchecked? I have issues with the amendments proposed to the Merchant Shipping Act and the Youth Council (Amendment) Act, which is taking away power from the youth. If this amendment passes, we may have to change the name of the Act from that of the Youth Council Act to the “Old Persons Council Act” because it will no longer be about the youth. It will be about old people pushing the youth the way they want. I have a problem with the Vetting of Magistrates Act, especially when we are pushing their mandate period to 2015. This was part of the reforms. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, kindly give me just one minute to wind up. I have several issues. We have agreed with the Leader of Majority Party that I write them down because we do not have enough time. One of the issues on which the Leader of 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."
}