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{
    "id": 945068,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/945068/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Igembe North, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Maoka Maore",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13344,
        "legal_name": "Richard Maore Maoka",
        "slug": "richard-maore-maoka"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for the opportunity to say a few words about this Bill. From the outset, I support it. We need to ask Kenyans to allow debate and reopening of what was passed in 2010. At the time the current Constitution was being passed, there was a lot of pressure from every corner and from everybody. I know many NGOs and international organisations, most of them anarchist, infiltrated our Constitution and things that were put there were like an experiment which is not even in those western countries. After we finish this one, it is wise to ask the CIOC to also revisit the contents that are in the Bill of Rights. The rights that are being implemented here are not practical in any other country. For example, the people who are charged with capital offences are treated with the easiest of care by our judicial system. If you are caught dealing in drugs in many countries in Europe or the USA, you will have to stay in jail until the case is completed. However, in Kenya, a serial killer commits murder and walks to a judge who treats him nicely and he gets bail. In places where you are talking about rights, there are limits. If you live in a country where terrorists are making life difficult for very many of us… Three days ago, we had a problem where our GSU officers were blown up within our borders and ten of them died. However, if you catch the guy who blew them up and you take him to court, you will hear a judge being very nice to the fellow. In the evening he will be out on a bail of, maybe, Kshs100,000 or Kshs200,000. These things are not supposed to be in any Constitution. Now that they are in our Constitution, I will ask the CIOC to do something about it the way they are trying to address this story of marginalisation. It is a word which has been misused over the years. If you are marginalised, and I know it is not cultural or does not fit the definition as per the Constitution the Speaker read out, it is wise to have those things that are used as an excuse to get access to privileges that you would not get or that you are getting when you are not entitled to them. I will give an example. The US Congress has 435 Members. The Senate has 100. The total is 535 Members. There is not even one which is reserved for those special interest things or gender. People need to compete equally. The only thing that we need to do is to look for those areas of legislation that need to be put together if the barriers are there. I know that, before and even now, we have no barrier in our laws that bar somebody not to run in a specific area because one is a woman. You can give credit to places like Ukambani or even central Kenya and the Rift Valley where women run for elections and win. Those are examples which should be encouraged. That is how cultures evolve. You cannot legislate on them. We have created a bad document. We have had a problem with it. I know it is the NGOs and the activists who did it. We are now correcting it and that is good. In Meru we have had a problem over the years such that it is difficult for somebody to be elected. Other communities faced with the same problem are the Kisii, the Somali and other communities in northern Kenya. You do not legislate on those things. When people go to the polls, they elect a leader and the matter should end there. You do not put those encumbrances that after 10 or 20 years, you will stop this gender thing. Why are you putting it in the first place? Then we are talking about non-discrimination. If you are not discriminating in one part of the Constitution, you are doing so in another part. That is why I thank the Committee for trying to harmonise our Constitution so that we do not have those areas that are not created by legislation. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}