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{
    "id": 454467,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/454467/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 428,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Speaker. I rise to grudgingly support this Report. I want to commend the KNCHR for the job that they have done over the years. I agree that the Commission has done a very good job. It is good to be active and to be activist in your approach when dealing with issues of human rights, because that is the only way in which you can change the status quo. Hon. Speaker, Mr. Lempaa Vincent is very well known to me. He has been a student leader and activist. He has initiated very many changes. Even recently, he went to court on the issue of sunscreens. He was our lawyer. He is somebody whose name ranks very high on issues of defending the less fortunate. Therefore, despite the fact that it is technically not possible to have him as a commissioner, I highly recommend him because he is a person who is known to me personally. He is, in fact, my personal lawyer. I also commend the other people who have been nominated for these positions. I have worked with Jedidah Waruhiu of the Legal Resources Foundation. I commend George Morara of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Mr. Mbogori because they are people who have done a very good job. I am concerned with the fact that Henry Maina was left out; these are people who have a very good track records when it comes to issues of protection of human rights. I am, however, concerned because the KNCHR has always had a person with disability as one of the commissioners. I remember the visually-impaired Lawrence Mute, Dr. Samuel Tororei and others, who actually did a very commendable job in terms of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and the realisation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York, which I was part of. Therefore, lack of a person with disability on the Commission is a blow. Hon. Speaker, I also note that it is important to have the KNCHR, the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) and National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) combined to become one strong human rights commission. We are losing a lot. We are splitting hairs about having these three commissions. I know that the KNCHR has suffered a lot because for almost two years, they have not been in operation. Therefore, this House should consider having only one strong human rights commission. These commissions’ work is actually to fight for human rights, governance and democracy. This should also permeate to political parties. They must be seen to be beyond reproach, like Caesar’s wife. We do not want karate and things like those to make people lose confidence in the democracy that we fight for in this country. 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."
}