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{
    "id": 60797,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/60797/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 173,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to support this Motion of adjournment. I support the Motion because it is time we took a break to go and reflect and perform one other function which Parliament must do, namely, oversight. We have a lot of programmes which are going on. We have the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) programmes and the Economic Stimulus Programme projects, which we must all go and look at. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to also urge hon. Members that we use this break to reflect on the Constitution. From the day the new Constitution was promulgated, we have not had time to even reflect on it individually because of the tight programme we have had. We need to reflect on what the new Constitution says and what its spirit is, so that we can implement it smoothly. We have no other opportunity but now, as the Tenth Parliament, to ensure that we smoothly transit from the old Constitution to the new Constitution. There are many structures which have to be put in place. We have to talk about devolution and make sure that we have structures in place, because it is not just a matter of putting up the buildings that the Minister for Public Works was telling us about but rather about how we are going to relate on the ground. So, it is very important that we go and look at what provisions are in the new Constitution that require our attention. As leaders, we must provide leadership on the ground. So, I urge my colleagues that we go and start the civic education programme that has been talked about. I also want to appeal to the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, who promised Kenyans during the promulgation of the new Constitution, that civic education would take place; that he now takes the programme of civic education very seriously during this break, so that we can help our people to understand what the new Constitution brings in, what the Bill of Rights gives them as privileges and what other chapters bring in, especially in the area of devolution. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this opportunity should also allow us to address some of the pertinent issues. I know that in my Ministry, we are looking at issues which have been pending in this House, including visits to mining areas and some of the environmentally sensitive areas. This is our opportunity to attend to those issues. I would also like to remind the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security what he was told yesterday about insecurity in Eldoret Town. Apart from addressing that issue in Eldoret, he needs to spend this time to understand why the country is becoming more insecure than before. In Eldoret, we have had more than six robberies in the last two months and you can ask yourself why nobody has been arrested for those crimes. It is time the Minister tried to understand the complications that have come up in the security sector. So, I urge my colleagues that this is an opportunity for us to re-look at our Ministries and sort out some of the issues that have been disturbing us in this House. It is time for stock-taking. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to congratulate the President for the decision he made the other day. I want to congratulate him because it was a very wise decision to retrieve the names of the nominees that had been forwarded to this House. On that day, I thought that the President was becoming as much of a hero as former President Moi when he went to Kasarani and repealed Section 2A of the old Constitution. It is only good that a leader can change his mind at a time when the country is in a very difficult position. So, the President needs congratulations for that action. More than that, what is the role of this House when it comes to dealing with transitional issues like what we had last time? It is very important that we, first, be sober, as Members of Parliament. This break also gives us time to reflect within ourselves and between ourselves, because it is very important that we are sober when implementing the new Constitution. We must ensure that we do not take sides just for the sake of taking sides but rather we do what is right. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the new Constitution has outlined a lot of what we should be having and what should be done. It is very important that, as leaders, we show leadership. It has been very sad. I remember that even at that time, people were calling and saying: “Is there really a side to take? It is like the Tenth Parliament has decided to fail now and again.” We must stand for the Constitution and stand for this country. I, therefore, call upon my colleagues in this House to ensure that we are patriotic enough, so that the country can toe a patriotic line. This is a country which has enjoyed peace for a very long time, and we cannot allow small issues of partnerships, or issues of selfishness, to destroy us. It is very important that we make that decision. Finally, I just want to talk about the issue of drought and food. We still have food in Uasin Gishu. We urge the Ministry of Agriculture to look for ways and means of buying this food and selling it to our colleagues elsewhere. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}