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{
    "id": 1045830,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1045830/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 112,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ruiru, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Simon King’ara",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13468,
        "legal_name": "Simon Nganga Kingara",
        "slug": "simon-nganga-kingara-2"
    },
    "content": "If you look at the banks, when there are riots, people do not go to banks. According to the same report, the banks lost between Ksh30,000 to Ksh90,000 in a single day. The big restaurants here in town have also given their numbers which stand at Ksh150,000 per day during that demonstration. What was worse is the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). When people stayed at home, especially the foreign investors gave what I call “wait and see”, the entrepreneurs in this country lost Ksh50 billion that single day. So, you can see if we continue allowing demos to take place, we will ruin our country. We have come from far and we will be going back to where we were if order is not set. I might not be very straight on it, but since we have a lot of brains around here, they can chip in and come up with modalities of how people can demonstrate and picket and also do other things as they consider the lives and survival of those who are not involved in the demos. One would ask: Is it doable? I quote Britain and Uganda where they have set areas for demonstrations and picketing. They have also set laws of doing the same. So, it is done elsewhere in the world. At the same time, Fiji had the same problem sometimes around 2016. They came up with a law where they provided stiff penalties or punishment to those who breached the rule, but they were not stopped from demonstrating at will, if they followed the same route. The list is long. If you look at other regions like Zambia, which is not far from us, they have come up with a law which protects demonstrators and also protects its citizens and they are able to demonstrate and also allow other things to take course. This is universal because Article 3 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states that the State has the responsibility to ensure any person whose rights are violated shall have an effective remedy notwithstanding that violence has been committed by a person acting in the office or out of the office. This one reminds us that we are in the Commonwealth whereby we are supposed to follow suit and go according to the agreement which has been set by the international standards which Kenya belongs. If you look at this Parliament where I belong, our Speaker, through an Act which was put by us, specified areas in the precincts of Parliament where we cannot picket or demonstrate. We are given areas where we should demonstrate or picket as house business continues. If the House of rules and order can do that, why not the nation which we stand for? The list is long. Many things have happened. People have lost their lives and property, as others are trying to fight for their rights. The same Constitution gives each and every Kenyan the right to picket or demonstrate as others things proceed. Hon. Deputy Speaker, you can imagine how many lives are lost when we block roads and ambulances want to use them. Somebody is sick in that ambulance and the road is closed. You cannot access the hospital. Sometimes people block the hospital. You are sick out there. The medication is just around but because of somebody’s rights of demonstrating, you lose your life. I think all lives are equal and they should be treated equally. For that matter, I wish that this House and Hon. Members can support this Bill including other inputs which they deem necessary to have us live in harmony in this country. Without much ado, I wish that Hon. Sankok seconds this amendment Bill."
}