Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 643607,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/643607/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 213,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Shimbwa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1345,
        "legal_name": "Omar Mwinyi Shimbwa",
        "slug": "omar-mwinyi-shimbwa"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I would also like to support the Bill. However, I would like to support my brother, Hon. Chris Wamalwa, in asking the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs to explain why he needs three months and not one month. It is upon everybody, including us, as Parliament, to transact business within the stipulated timelines. It would have been prudent for the Departmental Committee to be on the toes of the Board to ensure that it completes its work on time. I presume we need to get some measurable in terms of how many cases are pending and how much time is required by the Board to complete the job instead of giving them a blanket of three months. I would also like to add my voice to the argument that was advanced by the Chairman to the effect that this extension does not have any monetary implications. The extension may be in the interest of the Board. The motivating factor could be availability of funds at the Board, which they could be planning to spend in a manner that is not commensurate to the work that is remaining. When the Mover is called to reply, I would like to know why he needs three months. The law allows players to be equal. When it comes to the Bench, the law makes everybody equal. We used to go to court and sometimes we asked ourselves who the best lawyer was in this country. During the Moi regime, we used to go to court to listen to lawyers give their legal output on matters before the court. You get convinced that the reasons and citations that were given were enough to make somebody win a case only to see the opposite of that during the judgement. I remember in 1993 when I took a petition to court against the late Shariff Nassir, Hon. Orengo, was my lawyer. He used to tell the judges who were there that he knew he was going to lose the case not because he did not have a case, but because the judges had already made a decision. That is what used to happen during that time. Unfortunately, there are signs of experiences of those times creeping back into the Jubilee Coalition era. Judges were appointed not because they merited the jobs, but because of political inclination in support of the Government of the day. This led to judges giving political judgements. A few weeks, we saw the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government ordering the arrest of a journalist who had published a certain story that incriminated his Ministry. It seems we are not following the rule of law. We are very keen on satisfying our egos and protecting our image. Again, last week, we saw the same Cabinet Secretary giving orders for the arrest of the Governor of Mombasa because he had not surrendered his gun. The Cabinet Secretary knew very well that there is law in this country. Everybody should know that in order for this country to advance and develop, we must abide by the law. We must be ready to be governed by the law and not our interests. Because of the inclinations that we are talking about, during the recent parliamentary by- election in Malindi Town Constituency, some people bribed voters openly at the Sir Ali Primary School Poling Station. When somebody raised the matter with the Presiding Officer, all he could The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}