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{
    "id": 473704,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/473704/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 263,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ganya",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 18,
        "legal_name": "Francis Chachu Ganya",
        "slug": "francis-ganya"
    },
    "content": "this Victim Protection Bill. This is not just an ordinary Private Members’ Bill. It enables us as a country and as Parliament to realize Article 50(9) of the Constitution, which is on protection of victims in this country. This is a Bill with a very strict constitutional deadline of August this year, four years after we promulgated the Constitution. If we do not adhere to that deadline of four years to have this Bill in place by this House, it has some very severe consequence to this National Assembly. In that light, she is doing this country and this Parliament a big favour by enabling us to beat this very critical constitutional deadline and for that hon. Millie really needs to be appreciated for this noble effort that she has done. This Bill provides protection for the voiceless victims of crimes and abuse of power. It provides protection in terms of enabling these victims to get better information and better services, both legal and other social services. It also enables for the victims who are highly vulnerable to get special protection from the State. In addition to enabling us to realize our Constitution, which provides for protection of our victims, what hon. Millie has done is that she has also enabled us to actually fulfill our international obligation within the UN systems. The United Nations (UN) Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power passed in 1985 commits all member states to come up with legislations that will enable them to have the victims in the countries protected through legislation. This Bill enables this country to also fulfill its international obligation and for this, she has done this country proud. As I was researching on this Bill, I did also look at some good practices elsewhere in the world. The South African Constitution which is actually hailed as the most liberal--- Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the South African Constitution is actually held as one of the most liberal constitutions in the world. I know very few constitutions, if any, actually legitimizing people with different sexual orientation; not even in the United States of America. (USA). The liberal Constitution of South Africa does provide for protection of its victims. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the service charter for victims of crime in South Africa; which is also called the victims charter, promotes and provides special instrument to enable the victims in South Africa to get fair justice. That law has a lot of similarity with this Bill hon. Millie Odhiambo-Mabona has proposed. It provides fair treatment, respect and the right to privacy for the victims. For your information, the Bill provides for the rights of assistance, legal and otherwise; right for compensation and restitution. This Bill even enlightens those structures as provided elsewhere in the world and for sure, it is one of the best that we have. I hope our human rights lawyers and our civil society organisations which have the core mandate on issues of human rights will use this wonderful Bill that is before this Parliament to ensure that they fight for the voiceless and enable this nation to achieve that spirit and letter of constitution. It will ensure that even the victims are protected within our land. With those few remarks, I very strongly support this Bill."
}