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{
    "id": 661922,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/661922/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 305,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to move:- THAT. The Order of Precedence and Titles Bill (National Assembly Bill No.11 of 2014) be read a Second Time. This is a Bill to provide for the order of precedence for officials at diplomatic, official and social state functions within Kenya and abroad and to provide for official titles of designated office holders and for connected purposes. It is unfortunate that our country has become a country obsessed with titles, but at the same time, we have realised that a lot of confusion arises, especially now under the new Constitution. We have very many office holders, some of them elected, others appointed while others working for independent institutions. Sometimes when you meet in functions and meetings, there is no clear order of doing things and I think that is the basis of having this Bill. Nevertheless, I am one person who believes that titles and honorifics should never be the basis upon which leaders should demand respect from society. Yes, it is a good Bill but I think in this country, we have overemphasized on titles. I am aware of colleagues who if they are called by their names and you do not add the word “honourable” before their names, then you are in trouble with them. They will even remind you that. It is even embarrassing when somebody introduces themselves. I am saying this because I have a background in the academia. In the academia where my sister, Sen. (Dr.) Zani, also has a stint, people are very simple. In fact, the more learned or the more senior a member of the academia is, the more humble they become. When the best authorities in disciplines such as Sociology, International Law or Anthropology introduce themselves, they simply say their first names and that suffices. However, in this country, we have a culture of titles. People are almost forcing citizens to refer to them as honourable, Excellencies and things like that. That should not be a culture in this country. Of course, it is good to respect offices and office holders. However, that should come naturally from the people we represent and serve as opposed to demands by ourselves. For example, my name is Kithure Kindiki. My mother never called me professor. I will feel a bit uneasy if you did not call me Kithure Kindiki. All the other titles like Senator, Professor are honorifics and they are never demanded but given by other people. Madam Temporary Speaker, in a nutshell, I want to highlight three things. The first one is why we need this Bill and the answer is in Clause 3. We need this Bill to ensure that we maintain public order and decorum at national functions and social engagements of the Government of Kenya; to promote a national culture of respect, 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"
}