Mutula Kilonzo

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 1211 to 1220 of 1275.

• 17 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Vote. I want to associate myself with those hon. Members who have praised the Minister. He is an outstanding man. I have had the opportunity to work for and with him when he was the Vice-President and the Minister for Finance. I think he has brought his experience to bear on this Ministry. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, to a large extent, I think he has been too successful. I think so, because right now, in this country in ... view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: On a point of order, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. Would I be in order to seek your guidance and ruling as to whether this House can, in fact, debate a Bill that is a clear violation of Section 79 of the Constitution of this country? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have looked at this Bill very carefully and formed a considered opinion that it clearly violates Section 79 of the Constitution. I was wondering if you could allow me to elaborate on my observations regarding the actual wording of the Bill so that we can at once know ... view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise on a point of order to seek a ruling from the Chair on the legality and constitutionality of this Bill. I will go straight to the point. Section 79 of our Constitution - if you allow me, I will read it out, because this is an extremely critical matter - which appears at page 52, reads as follows:- "79(1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, that is to say, freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information ... view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Yes, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. July 4, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2283 view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a careful examination of all the clauses of the code of conduct flies in the face of Section 79 of our Constitution, including independence, accountability and integrity. Above all, you will notice that the Bill also proposes certain punishments, including deregistration. It is requiring people who want to practise journalism to even be registered. It is requiring people to even be submitting themselves to the Minister for Information and Communications, so that he can appoint a chairman of a Council, et cetera . Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, my humble prayer is that a finding ... view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I beg to oppose this Bill, and particularly Clause 38. If this was the law when the story of King David was written in the Bible, when he sent Uria to the front of the Army so that he could be killed in order to take over his wife, I have no doubt that the journalists then would have been punished under this law. Clause 38(1) says: - "The media shall, in a free and independent manner and style, inform the public on issues of public interest and importance in a fair, accurate ... view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am trying to be extremely serious in this matter. I want to remind the House--- view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I dare say that my argument will emerge as I move along. Please, allow me to raise two other verses, because they are not many, to demonstrate the problems that this country is going to have if this Bill becomes law. Let me remind the hon. House and the country the story of King Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar ended up eating grass for seven years after he violated the laws of God and the scribes then wrote that story in the Bible. July 4, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2293 view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have no doubt in my mind, and I can see the Bishop nodding because he knows what I am talking about. If this law had been the law applicable in Persia at the time of the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, the scribes would have been arrested, deregistered as journalists and they would have been told that they were writing false stories. What point am I making? The point I am making is that the freedom of the media is the single most important aspect of a democratic state. I will always insist, without fear ... view
• 4 Jul 2007 in National Assembly: Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the point I am making is that, a country which is emerging from one party rule and from serious controls of communication and information--- As I speak now we have no Freedom of Information Act as a law in this country. As we emerge into a modern democracy, into a modern competitive state where people must share opinion and exchange ideas, it is ridiculous for us to be behaving in a manner that is even more odd than that displayed in the story about King Nebuchadnezzar because he did not stop journalists or the scribes ... view