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{
    "id": 707369,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/707369/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 91,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Oyugi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 444,
        "legal_name": "Augostinho Neto Oyugi",
        "slug": "augostinho-neto-oyugi"
    },
    "content": "refugee. The officer has power to question any recognized or protected person or any person who claims to be a refugee. The importance of this is to ensure that all the records concerning refugees that we have are intact. We must have a record of everyone who is admitted as a refugee. Clause 67, which is fairly important, speaks to the issue of legal aid. Article 59 of the Kenya Constitution agrees that every Kenyan, and everyone else who is in Kenya, is supposed to benefit from legal aid. We are also proposing, under Clause 67 of this Bill, that refugees be subject to the same constitutional requirement; that is Article 59. This is with regard to legal aid. However, it should be in a way that does not overburden the Kenyan taxpayer. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the transitional clauses are important to us. If at all Members agree to pass this Bill, one of the things we will be doing is to repeal the Refugee Act of 2006, Cap 173. I have spoken to the reasons we need to repeal that Refugee Act. It is important for us to know that refugees, if this new law is passed, will still enjoy their rights which have been protected within the meaning of the Refugee Act of 2006. The Refugee Appeals Board that now exists shall also stay in office. The Commissioner shall be appointed by the Refugee Commission that we are seeking to establish. The other provisions that we intend to include will be with regard to urban refugees and the rights of host communities, which are not currently in this Bill. We believe that if we do that we will ensure that a holistic refugee regime is in place. This will help secure the interest of Kenyans. It will also ensure that Kenya meets its obligations as is required by the various conventions to which it is signatory. In conclusion, before I invite my good friend to second, I would like to request my honorable colleagues to do two things: read the Bill as it is so that they appreciate what we are trying to do and read the Report of the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security because it contains many things that we have discussed and agreed upon. Lastly, I would like to request our colleagues to support this Bill because it is going to change the design and manner in which we deal with the refugees in this country. It is one that is going to ensure that the refugees have their human rights and Kenya’s internal security concerns are taken into consideration. I would like to acknowledge the fact that my colleague, Hon. Ken Okoth, had a Bill which would amend the Refugees Act. We, however, agreed to consolidate the two Bills. I am looking forward to Hon. Okoth’s input as well as that of the Members of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights. With those many remarks, I request my friend, the Member for Wajir South, Hon. Abdullahi Diriye to second this Bill. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker."
}