Martha Karua

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 2601 to 2610 of 2953.

• 23 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. I want to thank the hon. Members who have contributed and pointed out areas where we need to revisit the clauses. However, the reports of the Departmental Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs have made some very good suggestions, but others will need to be harmonised bearing in mind that we are making laws for posterity and not for ourselves and friends. We must look at those clauses and know that if we want to eradicate corruption in this country, we will have to have a measure of what ... view
• 22 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, we undertake to remind the Minister about it so that he comes ready tomorrow. view
• 21 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise in support of this Motion. I want to begin by commending the Ministry for doing very well in a very short space of four and half years. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we know that water was a neglected sector over a long period in this country. Even the Vote of the Ministry told volumes. We have come from a Development Budget of Kshs2 billion to over Kshs11 billion at the moment. That is, truly, tremendous! We have seen what the Ministry has tried to do all over the country. Obviously, ... view
• 16 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to second. view
• 15 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill be now read a Second Time. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Bill seeks to amend Sections 33 and 42 of the Constitution. Section 42 Sub-section 4 of the Constitution states that:- "At intervals of not less than eight and not more than ten years, and whenever directed by an Act of Parliament, the Electoral Commission shall review the number, the boundaries and the names of the constituencies into which Kenya is divided, and may, by order, alter the number, the boundaries or the names, subject to and ... view
• 15 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, we had not come to 252 constituencies. The Bill proposes 40 constituencies. So, we are talking of 250 constituencies. To clarify what you have raised, the Government engaged the ECK, and the ECK indicated that it would be satisfied with 40 additional seats. Those are the seats proposed by this legislation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as hon. Members are aware, Kenya is a signatory to many international human rights instruments, which recognise, among other things, the human rights of women and their right to participation in Parliament. Additionally, the opening clause of our Constitution, Section 1(a) clearly states ... view
• 15 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are some fears that have been expressed that because the proposed 50 specially elected seats or Clause 33 is exclusively targeting women, it is discriminatory. I want to stand here and say that, that is not the case. Our Constitution clearly states that we are a democratic Republic, a clause that seeks to enhance participation of a large group of the population by a mere threshold of 16.7 per cent cannot be seen to be discriminatory. Studies done all over the world have shown that to increase the number of women in Parliaments, the threshold and ... view
• 15 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, there has been little or no debate on this Bill. But on the few things that have been said, I reply thus: Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is an exaggeration and not a correct position to claim that every time there have been constitutional amendments in this country, they have been preceded by negotiations. This only occurred in 1997 when we called for an IPPG, of which the hon. Member for Kabete was not member. That is the only time we negotiated on two clauses; Section 82 to remove discrimination on the basis of sex and Section 33 ... view
• 15 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, that is a point of argument which I need not to respond to. Since independence, the review of constituencies has never been preceded by consultations in the House. Just like Section 42 of the Constitution mandates, it is the ECK that consults the people of Kenya and the Government of the day tables the recommendations. We have done what is required and those who pretend to support Affirmative Action--- view
• 15 Aug 2007 in National Assembly: If the hon. Member has such details, let him rise and contribute and not put words in my mouth. I am saying that since Independence, the constituencies review has never been preceded by talks in the House but always by consultations with the people of Kenya by the ECK. That is my knowledge through my research from extracts of the HANSARD since Independence. The only time that this House has enacted constitutional review with consultations which had nothing to do with constituencies, was in 1997 when we included the Clause for gender parity as a result of which, we have ... view