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{
    "id": 697538,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/697538/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 243,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Waiganjo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2644,
        "legal_name": "John Muriithi Waiganjo",
        "slug": "john-muriithi-waiganjo"
    },
    "content": "rape, you will not even have any other witnesses who are willing to testify. Criminals are set free in most cases because witnesses are reluctant to testify. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this is not just a matter of making the law. I agree with Hon. Gikaria that we have laws but we need to enforce them. These beautiful pieces of legislation require concerted efforts for them to be implemented. Concerted efforts can only come from the agencies that make sure that criminal justice is served. The Judiciary must expedite matters before them. The Judiciary has the role of determining matters that can be heard in-camera or in open court depending on their sensitivity. The Judiciary must create infrastructure where witnesses can testify without being seen. As the Judiciary rolls out the infrastructure of our courts, they must make sure that the dock where the witness stands is protected. They must determine matters that are open to the public or even the media. This law creates an environment where we will have more convictions of criminals. We will also encourage more people to come out and testify. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have pro bono lawyers in our courts. In murder trials or crimes that attract capital offences, we have the Chief Justice with a panel of advocates coming to represent murder victims on pro bono basis. We now have access to justice because we passed that law. The Access to Justice Bill should be expanded. Our system requires that prosecutors are given more capacity. We need to give attractive remunerations to advocates who join the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). I am happy that the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs has committed a lot of funds to the Office of the DPP to attract more advocates who are in private practice to join the Office of the DPP as prosecutors. That will ensure that whenever there is a matter in court we get proper convictions. I am happy that every effort is being made but we must make sure that the criminal justice system is regularised so that we get more convictions. We should get more people going to court without fear or favour. In some cases, you cannot just protect a witness for a while. It is a lifetime responsibility. Even if a criminal is given life imprisonment, it does not mean that the witness is safe. This is because there are people out there who might harm the witness. We talked about drug trafficking. The Member for Murang’a said that drug traffickers or human traffickers have a cartel. One drug trafficker might go to jail but the others will be out hunting witnesses who testified in that case. I am happy that the membership of this House has debated this Bill. I believe the Attorney-General will create profound and good regulations and bring them to the Committee on Delegated Legislation so that we can operationalise the Bill. We should make sure that Kenya gets a good Bill: One that encourages our witnesses to be free to go to court to testify, but not ending up as victims of crime. We must also give proper allowances to our witnesses. We have few instances where witnesses are compensated. This country must budget for the witnesses fund so that witnesses are properly funded when they come to court. I want to thank Members who ably contributed to the Witness Protection (Amendment) Bill. I beg to move."
}