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{
    "id": 718810,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/718810/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 171,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wamunyinyi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 291,
        "legal_name": "Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi",
        "slug": "athanas-wamunyinyi"
    },
    "content": "Fresh from Addis Ababa! We feel sorry for what happened. We will be asking the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Duale, what motivated the need to reduce the age from 18 years to 16 years. I have been looking at it. This Bill proposes to amend the Sexual Offences Act, 2006 to provide for and correct some expressions and words used in the Act. The Bill proposes to reduce the consensual age with regard to the offence of defilement from 18 years to 16 years. This needs to be explained clearly. As far as I am concerned, from the drafters of the original law, it was known that you had to attain the age of 18 years to be issued with an ID and allowed to vote and also get married and become an adult. They knew why they came up with that age. Twenty one years was the age set for acquiring the old generation national IDs. I strongly oppose that provision. I will move an amendment or ask the Leader of the Majority Party to harmonise his proposal so that we do not go on with this legislation as it is. I have also noted that this Bill has good proposals. The prisons are supposed to offer rehabilitation and correctional services. I am aware that is your baby. When someone is sent to prison, they are not convicted just for punishment. Rehabilitation is important. This includes counselling and provision of psychological services such as psychotherapy. This will ensure that when prisoners leave prisons, they would have reconciled in their minds if they committed some offences. They should be counselled and trained to acquire specific skills that will help them to lead good lives when they get out of prisons. They should not just be subjected to hard labour. Caning and hard labour should be subjected to persons convicted of rape or defilement. Terrorists should be subjected to hard labour, caning and life imprisonment. They are not supposed to be part of the ordinary community. Offences like simple theft and fighting should be looked at and good correctional measures put in place to rehabilitate the perpetrators."
}