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{
    "id": 439771,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/439771/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 156,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Oyugi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 444,
        "legal_name": "Augostinho Neto Oyugi",
        "slug": "augostinho-neto-oyugi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, hon. Deputy Speaker. First, I would like to congratulate my very able sister for bringing this particular Bill. I really think it takes the hawk eyes of a serious legislator to see that there is a lacuna in the law. Article 50 of the Constitution is very robust in terms of providing for fair hearing processes and also providing for the offenders of crime, but pays very little attention to victims of those crimes and, of course, Parliament is under obligation under Article 59 of the Constitution to enact such a law. Actually, Parliament is being compelled under Article 59 of the Constitution to provide for legislation to protect victims and I really think this particular Bill was long overdue. I think it is really ripe. Hon. Deputy Speaker, hon. Millie Odhiambo, of course, has taken us through the various provisions of the Bill. But I would like to speak to a couple of specifics of the Bill. One, the Bill provides for the protection of victims of crime and abuse of power. You appreciate that there are often times when people are victims of crime and yet, they are treated like the ones who are criminals in the first instance. Half of them are not given information which this Bill seeks to do. The Bill will be compelling the various Government agencies to provide the victims of crime with better information and proper support services. Of course, she has enumerated how victims stay in court not knowing that there are issues taking place or not being given sufficient information in terms of how to help them get justice and this Bill seems to do actually that. The Bill also provides for reparation and compensation of victims. Quite often, you have criminals being charged and people being jailed for acts that they did, but no one ever bothers about compensation of the victims. So, I really think offering reparations and also compensating the victims is something that ought to have been considered and I really think this Bill does well in terms of enumerating how that is going to happen. It also speaks to the provision of special protection to vulnerable victims of crime and many times, the people who are victims of crime have been treated in manners that reduce or diminish their dignity and I really think that anchoring that in law is sufficient and very useful. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Bill does provide in Article 3(c) to promote co-operation between all Government departments and organisations involved in working with victims of crime. You appreciate that half the people who are engaged in the justice process face a number of conflicts. Those are the people in the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Office, the police and the Administration Police (AP). All the people who work with the victims half the time are not working in harmony and, sometimes, it makes it really difficult in terms of ensuring that the victims get justice when the issues are coming in place. So, there is, therefore, need to have people who are working with victims to work together as inter-agencies in a manner that is well co-ordinated. 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."
}