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{
"id": 68061,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/68061/?format=api",
"text_counter": 348,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Githae",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 159,
"legal_name": "Robinson Njeru Githae",
"slug": "robinson-githae"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I also rise to support the withdrawal of this Bill and even the next one. The only contribution I would like to make is that we need consultations and we need to stop empire building. We are all in one country; we are all in one Government. To me, if the CIC was not interested in putting their stamp on the Bill, this could have been avoided. We could have gone ahead and debated the Bills and then if they have any amendments, we could have taken care of them in this House. This House has the authority and the power to make amendments to any Bill. So, that could have been done. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am saying this because these are just the first two Bills. There is also one very important Bill that relates to security and the reforms in the Police Force. This is also an urgent Bill. This Parliament has been reconvened specifically to pass the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Bill, the Judicial Service Bill and the Police Act. Now that we are not meeting, my request to the CIC is that they look at things from a practical point of view. We all want to anchor the new laws in the Constitution as quickly as possible. That is why when Parliament was recalled we stopped whatever we were doing and heeded the call to duty. But if we start empire-building, and putting our thumbprints on Bills just to make a point, we will not go far. If we are going to pass the 49 laws required, the four bodies must co-operate; they must be practical; they must consult, and stop empire-building for the sake of this country. We passed the new Constitution but unless we pass these Bills to implement it, the Constitution will remain, but a dream. Mr. Speaker, Sir, therefore, whereas we support what the Minister has said, still this does not remove the power of the Government to bring Bills to this House. Unless we are saying that the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, or any other Minister, has no authority to bring any Bill, and that Bills must come here through the Committee on the Implementation of the Constitution--- I do not think that this is the case. I am convinced that what the Minister tried to do was the right thing. Therefore, there is no need for the Minister or the Attorney-General to apologize. He was right; many Bills will be brought by Ministers, not necessarily through the Committee on the Implementation of Constitution. For me this is simply empire building and we need to avoid it. We need to be practical and not theoretical. All the amendments that the Committee on the Implementation of the Constitution wanted could have been incorporated here. We could have amended the current Bill. Now we will lose at least 14 days, assuming they are ready with their amendments to the Bill. So, I am appealing to the Committee on the Implementation of the Constitution, the Law Reform Commission, the Attorney-General and the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, please sit down, consult, discuss and agree on all the issues. If they do that, we will be able to go through the 49 Bills that are required. Lastly, in view of the fact that these Bills are urgent my view would be that we move the sittings of Parliament from Nairobi and go to some remote place. We should isolate ourselves for two weeks to some place in a bush, with no telephone, roads or other infrastructure. We should hide in a bush for two weeks, doing nothing else, and meeting from Monday to Sunday and then we can do it. That is my challenge to the administration of Parliament. Let us do it. Kenyans want us to pass these 49 Bills and, therefore, we must take steps that will actually make this possible."
}