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{
    "id": 479114,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/479114/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 233,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "The other thing is about NACADA. I wonder whether you really require NACADA to be on this Board. Is it because it deals with young people and so there is an issue of drugs and substance abuse that will be apportioned to young people? This is presumptuous! In my opinion, it needs to be deleted so that we have another body that will represent effectively the advisory role that will be given to the National Youth Council. If you look at the current Act, you will realize that the National Youth Council has been given a lot of sweeping powers in terms of co-ordination of youth issues in this country, but the funding levels are actually not adequate. I would have expected a proposal to show that we are actually empowering this Council rather than trying to find ways of actually controlling it. If you look at the proposal of the amendment of the Political Parties Act, we have seen in the newspapers where the job of the Registrar of Political Parties has been advertised and then cancelled. It was re-advertized and cancelled again. In fact, the last time I checked, the Director of Political Parties – there is a contention about terminology here – was operating under the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices at the Anniversary Towers and the other day I saw them operating from Lions Place in Westlands. If you look at this proposal here, the drafter is proposing that we should have--- If for example this office falls vacant either of the Registrar or the Deputy Registrar, the President is empowered to appoint a selection panel. In all matters of honesty, and I stand to be corrected, I feel that this is subject to political manipulation. There must be a body, even if it is the Public Service Commission that should be empowered to select those who would apply for this job and recommend for appointment. To vest such powers in the presidency, for me it is not right. I would rather they proposed that it be done by the Cabinet Secretary. Some of these amendments may appear benign but the truth of the matter is that they are not. Of course, we are also seeing some proposals here that will require that we make amendments. One of the things we are being told is to delete without the approval of the National Assembly. There is a reason as to why this House found it fit to pass legislation that requires that if we are making certain appointments, they be done in accordance with the approval and the deliberations of this House. So, therefore, we need to caution the State Law Office that this must not be seen as an attempt to take away powers from this House. Parliament remains supreme and it remains the House of the representatives of the people and special interests. Parliament must be seen to have the final say on key issues so that we can have a national character in the various Ministries, departments, agencies, independent offices and other public offices that actually reflect the face of Kenya. I grudgingly support, but with amendments."
}