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{
    "id": 904422,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/904422/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 161,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Halake",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13184,
        "legal_name": "Abshiro Soka Halake",
        "slug": "abshiro-soka-halake"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also noticed that as Senators who are mandated to protect counties, these commissions are national in nature. I wish that we would look at commissions at a lower level so that our approaches are grassroots and county based as opposed to having one more commission that is headquartered in Nairobi. I do not know if, Sen. Pareno, there is a way in which this Commission can cascade to the counties so that we look at the problems at the grassroots level. As you know, every commission that we have in this country is based in Nairobi with very little, if any, cascading to the counties or to the levels that provides services at the grassroots. Other than that, I like the fact that the principles and the functions of the Commission are also well laid out. I hope we will not have any duplication of roles carried out by other commissions and institutions of Government because sometimes that is what we do. We create systems that are parallel and conflicting which becomes a source of inactivity or non-performance so to speak. This Bill seeks to address issues of discrimination in terms of ethnicity, participation in different economic sectors, employment and victimisation or ethnic profiling of some of the ethnic groups. I am aware that there are people of certain religions or tribes that are victimised for various reasons. The other day, I saw an advert of people of Somali or Borana origin at Nyayo House. They had gone to apply for their passports but the way it was portrayed, it was as if the only people that apply for passport are the ones that I have mentioned. Passports are not luxuries. They are travel documents that we have a right to. Such adverts are satirical and can make you laugh but there is the underlying ethnic profiling. When you go any airport, somebody that looks like me is checked thoroughly. I hope we will have an end to discrimination and victimization in different areas of employment. I am glad that Sen. Pareno thought of this because there is no rule that applies to everything. Issues of discrimination and affirmative action have been looked at in the Bill. So, this Bill is comprehensive, and I congratulate the Senator for bringing it. She has educated most of us on it because most of us had questions around creating another parallel system. I am happy and impressed that she has gone out of her way to ensure that certain exceptions have been made with regard to how the Commission will work. This is pretty different from what we have in place, and I hope it will not be defeated here. My worry is that sometimes when you put in place some of the institutions, we assume that they will be like a magic wand. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. I hope that this House will work with commissions and other agencies of the Government to ensure that we do away with discrimination, victimisation and ethnic profiling that makes a section of Kenyans feel ―less Kenyans‖ and disenfranchised. We have those who have nothing to lose. We have witnessed insecurity and people joining terrorist groups since they have nothing to lose because they do not feel that they belong here. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir the people living in North-Eastern part of Kenya bear the brunt of ethnic profiling. I was telling somebody that for me to get an identification card in 1990s, I had to wait for long. At some point, I had to travel to Nairobi because at that time, they felt that the area chief did not know me quite well. Although he knew my parents, he insisted on being paid. Such kind of victimisation, discrimination and people The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}