{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=582","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=580","results":[{"id":5801,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5801/?format=json","text_counter":314,"type":"heading","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"RATIFICATION OF HAGUE CONVENTION ON CHILD ADOPTION"},{"id":5802,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5802/?format=json","text_counter":315,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":376,"legal_name":"Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona","slug":"millie-odhiambo-mabona"},"content":"asked the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Development:- (a) whether Kenya has ratified the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Adoption of 25th October, 1980; (b) how many Kenyan children have been adopted by foreign nationals from 2008 to date; and, (c) what the Government is doing to protect children against possible trafficking through the International Adoption Process."},{"id":5803,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5803/?format=json","text_counter":316,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dr. Shaban","speaker_title":"The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Development","speaker":{"id":139,"legal_name":"Naomi Namsi Shaban","slug":"naomi-shaban"},"content":" Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) I wish to begin by making a correction regarding the title of the convention. What we have is known as “the Hague Convention of 25th October, 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction” and not adoption. This notwithstanding, Kenya has not ratified the convention in question. (b) Between the years 2008 and 2010, 197 Kenyan children have been adopted by foreigners. Figures for the year 2011 will be available at the end of the year. (c) To protect children against possible trafficking, several measures have been put in place, which include one, the National Adoption Committee approves the registration of local and foreign adoption societies to conduct adoption. This registration is valid for 12 months and it is renewable. Two, the local adoption societies declare children free for adoption and place them with their adopters as per Section 156(1) of our Children’s Act. They also receive quarterly post-adoption reports from affiliated registered foreign adoption agencies of the receiving countries for the first three years. Three, at the same time, the Government has put in place strict vetting mechanisms for anybody seeking to adopt a child. For example, the Immigration Department demands a letter of no objection from the Director of Children Services before issuing passports to adopt the children. Four, moreover, applicants have to produce authenticated adoption certificates from the Registrar-General accompanied by a High Court adoption order bearing a court seal"},{"id":5804,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5804/?format=json","text_counter":317,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":376,"legal_name":"Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona","slug":"millie-odhiambo-mabona"},"content":"Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for bringing to my attention that my Question has “adoption” instead of “abduction”."},{"id":5805,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5805/?format=json","text_counter":318,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":376,"legal_name":"Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona","slug":"millie-odhiambo-mabona"},"content":"What I would want to tell her is that in this country, a lot of children are trafficked through several processes, one of which is through abduction, especially by divorced parents; two, through adoptions; three, through stealing and four, through miracle babies. I have dealt with a lot of cases of trafficking, including a case where the Ministry was involved and the Government of Kenya (GOK) was represented in a case in the United Kingdom (UK); one child’s name was changed severally. At one time she was Anyango and another time she was Muthoni. She was given all manner of Kenyan names to hide her identity. Noting that the two conventions really go together in relation to the issue of trafficking, the Convention of 29th May on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of inter-country adoption, and the one the Minister has referred to as child abduction; could the Minister inform the House when the Government intends to ratify and domesticate the treaty on child abduction to protect the children of Kenya?"},{"id":5806,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5806/?format=json","text_counter":319,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dr. Shaban","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":139,"legal_name":"Naomi Namsi Shaban","slug":"naomi-shaban"},"content":"Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the ratification of the convention will be done in line with Article 94(5) of the new Constitution, which requires Parliament to play a role in the process, unlike in the past when this was a preserve of the Cabinet. The Ministry sought the advice of the Attorney-General’s office and was advised that the latter was drafting the Ratification of International Treaties Bill."},{"id":5807,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5807/?format=json","text_counter":320,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":376,"legal_name":"Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona","slug":"millie-odhiambo-mabona"},"content":"Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, what I would like the Minister to clarify is that we have cases where the adoption societies use homes that are not regulated. You find a lot of Kenyan children in homes that are not regulated; people come in and actually adopt children that are not available for adoption. I was actually consulted by an American lawyer who wanted to adopt a Kenyan child, who by coincidence happened to be a child that we were supporting as an orphan. The child was from Central Province, whose parents had died. We were also providing school fees of the elder brother. Could the Minister inform the House what she is doing to ensure that we do not have children declared free for adoption when they are not free for adoption?"},{"id":5808,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5808/?format=json","text_counter":321,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dr. Shaban","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":139,"legal_name":"Naomi Namsi Shaban","slug":"naomi-shaban"},"content":"Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as of last year October, we had been able to come up with a certificate of conformity under Article 23 of the Convention, which is given to all foreigners who are adopting children; that is the only way in which we can be sure that the child who is being adopted, and the people who are adopting them, have undergone full vetting by the Adoption Committee."},{"id":5809,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5809/?format=json","text_counter":322,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Mr. Mungatana","speaker_title":"The Temporary Deputy Speaker","speaker":{"id":185,"legal_name":"Danson Buya Mungatana","slug":"danson-mungatana"},"content":" The Chair notes its appreciation of how orderly the House has become when the fairer hon. Members were speaking. Thank you very much. That is encouraged."},{"id":5810,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/5810/?format=json","text_counter":323,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Applause)"}]}