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{
    "id": 550134,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/550134/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 276,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sijeny",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13127,
        "legal_name": "Judith Achieng Sijeny",
        "slug": "judith-achieng-sijeny"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me the chance to contribute to this Bill and second it. This is a very important Bill as the Mover, the Senate Majority Leader, has stated and it should be disseminated to the entire country. It protects the human rights of Kenyans and everybody must know that they have a right to be heard, and to access all important documents that affect them. The Bill seeks to protect Kenyans from their rights being violated. I would have used the word “abuse” because it is still abuse but let it be “from being violated.” Madam Temporary Speaker, this issue of being sacked through the media, for example, you hear about it on the radio, see it on television, receive a text message on your phone or through the famous social media; that can really tear you apart and hard; some people may even commit suicide and others give up and suffer for no good reason, just because they were not given fair trial. Fair trial means ample preparation. You are given all the information, called and given the chance to participate and hear all the allegations against you and all the things you are being accused of disobeying. In a nutshell, it protects the rules of natural justice. Madam Temporary Speaker, if there is anything that I have learnt in legal practice, it is the rule of natural justice. My former boss, now Justice Lee Muthoga, would always fight for anybody and everyone and insist that the rule of natural justice must be obeyed. Even our Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD); its co- principals have always preached this law of the rule of natural justice that must be given to every Kenyan. That is why in many instances, they have been heard to say that this issue of being accused, arrested and put behind bars for 90 or 30 days without knowing what is happening, is what this Bill seeks to protect. This morning, we had a public hearing on this issue. The public gave us their contributions. There are many issues that need to be amended and a few administrative repetitions that we shall sort out at the Committee stage. There have been contributions that judicial review should be a preserve of the High Court. We have laws which are already in existence. We have the Civil Procedure Act, and the civil procedure rules that govern judicial review. We also have the Chief Justice Rules that also take into account the issue of the judicial review. What I am trying to say is that by the end of the day, all the relevant laws will be harmonised. Once they are harmonised, then Kenyans will not be confused at all. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}