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{
    "id": 600397,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/600397/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 129,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Muzee",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2225,
        "legal_name": "Daniel Kazungu Muzee",
        "slug": "daniel-kazungu-muzee"
    },
    "content": "also have people who were very strong and have contributed so much to their communities. They end up being poor because their works are used over time but they earn nothing. This Bill gives them an opportunity to register and earn from the knowledge that they have. They not only earn from the knowledge, but also the community they come from. Therefore, that is a big plus. I support this Bill for that because they must earn from their works. I find it a challenge because culture evolves. The way we were in the 17th Century is not the way we are today. There is also the fact we are integrating as a nation and a push to integrate ourselves as East Africa. That now brings another challenge. For example, how will the Mijikenda culture be in the next five years through its integration with other cultures? For example, in Malindi there is everybody, Kikuyu, Kisii, Maasai, Arabs and Europeans as well. So, how then do you put together a situation where you have a fusion of culture over time? How do you register that? That is a dilemma to me. I am proud of being a Member of Parliament of a very strong multicultural set up where a good number of African communities and different races are. So, how do you do it when cultures fuse and they come together? How will you be registering them and who will own that corporate? Lastly, this Bill looks mainly at the positive sides of cultural expressions. However, let us face it. There are also negative ones like witchcraft. It is practised by very many of our communities at the coast, the Kamba, the Kisii and in western Kenya. These things are there. We need to look at that. That is why I am coming with a Bill to either repeal or seriously amend the Witchcraft Act which has very draconian ways of looking at it. It was done during the colonial days in1920s and1930s when the European did not even understand witchcraft. In one instance, they said that it was bad and in the instance they said that they did not believe it. So, how do you legislate something that does not even exist in the first place? So, we need to look at that. These are things that this Bill has to look at; the negative part of our cultural expressions. Witchcraft which is very prominent in my community needs to be looked at so that we do not appoint a judge to adjudicate over it. That should primarily be a cultural issue. It has been taken like that over years. Let us face it. People in my community are being killed every week and every month because they are suspected of practising witchcraft. I know that it is rife in many other areas in this country. So, we need to look at that. People are dying and now it is becoming an excuse. If your father is rich and you want to inherit his property, you say that he is a wizard and you kill him. So, we need to look at these issues which are real. I know some people may not believe in that. I understand that because of issues of new religion which is coming up and religious beliefs like the ones for Christians and Muslims. These things are there. We should be alive to them. So, I support this Bill. It is timely. Let us hope that we can look at the issues which we know we are comfortable with. For example, there are cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and circumcision. We know that the Luo community does not circumcise their men. Is that a bad issue? The Giriama circumcise their men. Is that issue okay? We need to look at that so that we do not also bring conflicts which we do not need to deal with now. Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker."
}