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{
    "id": 82891,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/82891/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 293,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Lands",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I count myself lucky for just coming in and getting the chance to contribute. I think I am a very happy man. Thanks to this Committee for carrying out the first vetting of judicial officers serving in the JSC. I believe that in this country Kenya, if we had a strong and independent judiciary, we would not have got to where we have gotten over the last 30 years. We had a Judiciary which had become more executive than the Executive. We had a Judiciary that was carrying out the whims of those in power without caring about the interests of Kenyans. I think it should be said that the sovereignty of the Republic of Kenya no longer lies in any one State organ or institution. The sovereignty of this country is in the people of Kenya. We vet these judicial officers in compliance with our constitutional duty, which is that delegated authority to carry out that exercise, on behalf of the Kenyan people. We are not doing it on behalf of the Executive. Having said that, I would want to remind this House that there are instances in this country where people have suffered because of the kind of Judiciary we had. If we had a good Judiciary, hon. Kenneth Matiba would not be in the situation he is today. He would not have served a day longer in jail if we had the kind of Judiciary that this Constitution is trying to create. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if we had the kind of Judiciary we are trying to create, even I, would not have spent ten days in jail in Kisii, having been charged with sedition because those were just trumped up charges. I believe that this is the duty that Parliament must serve with ultimate pride. Never let the Executive go beyond what is necessary! This is because if any institution in this country becomes the extension of the Executive, that is where the rain will start beating us. I know as a matter of fact that if we started looking at the glossary of cases which many Kenyans--- Sometimes I think of my friend like Victor Thiong’o, a very innocent man, a young dedicated advocate who was jailed for five years on account that he wanted to overthrow the Kenyan Government. This was just a simple advocate who was just doing his work. When he made an appeal to the Court of Appeal, I am sure the Chair is aware of these cases because you did so many. I forgot that you are the one who is on the Chair. There are many times that you had to run to the court as an advocate of those who were being thrown to jail by the Judiciary. The court would say that even for a man who had been locked in for 90 days, if somebody had pleaded guilty, that plea could not be interrogated. Even if he did not have access to an advocate that was a voluntary plea and, therefore, he must serve seven to ten years in jail. I am glad that the Attorney-General is here! That age was under the current Attorney-General. Attorney-General, you are now part of this new Kenya. I am happy that you have become part of this new Kenya. Because fighting for it, I know when you dared say anything like the facts we are saying today, you would end up in detention. The Attorney- General would not speak for you because if he spoke for you, he would lose his job. Instances like those happened many times. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am glad that my senior learned friend Mr. Mutula Kilonzo is now speaking the language of reform!"
}