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"content": "(Prof. Saitoti): Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I feel privileged to contribute to this Bill. I am doing so after a very wonderful and enlightening exposition by both the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs and Mr. Orengo. In a way, I am going to be very careful because the two who are very experienced lawyers have laid down the framework. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is wonderful that this Parliament passed and appointed the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC). I am saying so because after having waited for a very long time to have a new Constitution and after it was promulgated, wananchi were beginning to wonder as to whether we had misled them. They were wondering whether, after having fought and struggled for more than 20 years, we were serious. We were wrangling outside there and we know about it. At one stage we took very bi-partisan positions. Finally, I believe that the wise counsel prevailed when the list came here for the second time and we adopted it without any problems. Kenyans also got very worried when the issue of who was going to chair the Committee came up. Out there, wananchi almost began to wonder whether we Members of Parliament had gone back to our old habits, as it were. They thought we were thinking much more of ourselves than about them and the country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to commend the Members of the CIOC because of the manner in which they discussed the issue and resolved what had appeared to be a stalemate. That restored confidence in the people of this country. I have no doubt that the way the Minister presented this particular Bill and the deliberation we are involved in now, is going to add more value to curb the conflicts that Kenyans have. There is no doubt that because of the wonderful content embodied in the new Constitution, Kenyans are eager to enjoy the fruits of the new Constitution. They are tired of the old Constitution. They suffered and you have heard it from Mr. Orengo. Kenyans just want to see this new Kenya that we talked about so eloquently as we went all over the country persuading them to pass the Draft Constitution. This is the Bill that is going to open the doors. Without the CIOC we cannot go very far. In fact, we can hardly move. This is because all of the Bills which enable the implementation of the Constitution must be submitted to this Committee. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister responsible for the fundamental changes that are required to be made as a result of the new Constitution will prepare the Bill, send it to the Attorney-General then the Bill goes straight away to this Committee. It will be studied to ensure that the Bill is formulated in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution. They will detect whether the Bill as drafted is compliant to the new Constitution. From there, it will then go to the Cabinet and later on to this House. There are several Bills to be addressed. Therefore, the speed at which we move in deliberating on this very important Bill and to ensure that finally a Committee is put in place will also determine the speed at which the other Bills are going to be moved. Every one of the enabling Bills has a time-line when it is supposed to be implemented. For example, my Ministry is implementing reforms in the police force. Although the Bills we already have were formulated before the new Constitution, fortunately, we now find that a way had already been paved to ensure that they are examined within the context of the new Constitution. Of course, we have had to align them in the light of the new Constitution. I could not present the Bills here, for example, the Bills on the police, national policy, the one establishing the position of Inspector- General and the Deputy Inspector-General of the Police Service Commission, the Deputy Inspector-General of the Administration Police and all the others, without this Commission in place. I am sure you will find a similar story repeated by every Minister, whose Ministry is required to come up with Bills. Mr. Orengo said something which is very important about this Bill. He urged us to approach it, not in a partisan manner, but in the spirit of partnership; the same spirit we had when we were discussing the Constitution making process. More importantly, we should all embrace this spirit, those who were for the Constitution and those who were not for it. I believe that what we have in front of us are the people of this country. Nothing will give more meaning to the new Constitution than the Bills that we are required to implement."
}