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"id": 442015,
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"speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Lay",
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"legal_name": "Joyce Wanjalah Lay",
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"content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity. I rise to support the Bill. I am aware of the conversation that is going on in this nation, especially concerning the wage bill. I know that we are going to be criticised for passing this Bill. However, I will support it by giving it a constitutional context. Article 10(2) of the Constitution provides that the national values, principles of governance include, among others, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, bringing politics into this Bill is tantamount to discriminating against people who served this nation. Talking of “people”, I am not just referring to the former Prime Minister. I am also referring to the former Vice-Presidents, right from hon. Kalonzo and the rest. So, we need to look at this Bill by looking at the roles that each and every person played in the building of this nation. The former Office of the Prime Minister was an equal partner in the immediate former Government. The former Prime Minister would even come here on Wednesday afternoons to answer Questions on behalf of the Government. We all know how hard he has worked for this nation. Article 27(1) of the Constitution states that every person is equal before the law, and that he has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law. Granting retirement package only to a former President, who I highly respect, but not his equal partner, is nothing but discrimination. My colleagues have also suggested that we amend this Bill to include first time Members of Parliament. If we want to include first time Members, we have to amend Clause 3 which says that subject to sections 5(3) and 14, the persons entitled to the benefits conferred by this Act shall be persons who at any time after the 15th January, 2008 retire as Prime Minister, Vice-President, Deputy President or Designated State Officers and who do not engage in elective politics. The positions that we hold right now are not guaranteed. Today we are here but tomorrow we may not be here. If you get defeated next time, it does not mean that it is the end of it. Once you become a leader, you have an ambition. Part of that ambition is for you to eventually lead this nation one day. So, we really need to amend that clause to accommodate first time Members of Parliament. Clause 4(2) says “Where an entitled person holds an appointive or elective post in or under the Government to which there is attached a rate of pay, other than nominal rate, the benefits to which he is entitled shall be reduced by the amount of such pay.” That means, even if we give this retirement package to the former Prime Minister and maybe, he still intends to run for public office and by God’s grace he wins the election, then this falls on him--- My friend there is laughing. You never know. That means whoever it is that is going to be entitled under the proposed law shall be reduced by the amount of such pay. Going forward, we already have a Deputy President. Some of us have ambition to lead this country. So, as we discuss this Bill, let us think about the future and future leaders. Hon. Members can think about me or themselves, who are going to hold that position in the future. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}