HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1047620,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1047620/?format=api",
"text_counter": 181,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Poghisio",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 202,
"legal_name": "Samuel Losuron Poghisio",
"slug": "samuel-poghisio"
},
"content": "When I was expelled from the Kenya African National Union (KANU) in 1988 after my first election, Sen. Haji was there. He was so sympathetic and would tell me, “go slow kijana.” I did not know what that meant because I had just finished graduate school and had a Master’s degree, and thought I could question everything. However, that was not to be. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was expelled the same year that I was elected; I did not have a long time to serve. I was expelled from the only party in the country. The truth was that you became a pariah when you were expelled. Sen. Haji was the administrator, but at that moment of victimizing, he did not do that. I was able then to organize myself and get out of the country without much harassment. Sen. Haji is a man who had the authority even to order my arrest. He had the authority to do whatever he wanted to do, but he did not use that against some of us. During that time, the Pokot community had been harassed very much in terms of military operations. Some of you are hearing about military operations now. This is something that was used quite a lot on the Pokot community. Sen. Haji, who was the PC at the time, handled it in a very humane way. Although a lot of times the leaders were arrested, he handled it in a very humane way. I remember him as a man who could give time to leaders and listen to them, even those of us who were branded badly at the time. In respect of the question of whether he owes me anything, absolutely nothing except gratitude. Every time we had issues even in personal lives, and you spoke to Sen. Haji, he listened to you and gave advice, which was fatherly. The other thing I must say is that he really gave his family a very good life. He gave his family education. When we spoke about Hon. Nyachae yesterday, these were very young people. Hon. Nyachae being a PC at 32 years old, those were very young people, yet, they were able to operate under those conditions. Sen. Haji and his peers at that time were very well prepared and well trained. One thing which we are thankful for is that, he prepared his family for life. He prepared his people as well; the people of Garissa and generally the people of North Eastern. He is a man who cared beyond his own family and small constituency. Mr. Speaker, Sir, one of the last examples, and I think it is the one that the Minority Leader, Sen. Orengo said, is that I came back to KANU in 1997 and ran for Member of Parliament for Kacheliba Constituency under KANU. Those days, the nominations were still mlolongo nominations, which could go either way. In those days, the District Officers (DOs) were presiding officers and the District Commissioners (DC) were the returning officers; I do not know which one is bigger. Mine was unique because the late former President had a candidate he liked very much called Hon. Peter Nang’ole. He was an Assistant Minister, and I was running against him. Sen. Haji was the PC. When I won that nomination, it was a problem for the country and the party because I was not supposed to win that nomination. The District Officer of Kacheliba called the District Commissioner (DC) and said there was a problem. The DC asked what the problem was and he said: “The Assistant Minister has been beaten.” The DC said: “Wait for me there, do not do anything, do not announce the results, let me call the PC.” Guess who the PC was? It was Sen. Haji. The DC called the PC and he said: “Wait, do not announce, let me call the President.” The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}