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"content": "contributions. Sen. Orengo spoke today like the Orengo we know. I enjoyed every bit of his submissions. I want to thank him for that. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, Sir, is to eulogize our colleague, Sen. Mohamed Yusuf Haji. Sen. Mohamed Yusuf Haji had a very illustrious career. Some of us cannot speak in the same stature with Sen. Orengo and others because we came to public service the other day. We do not have similar experience. Sen. Yusuf Haji was the PC of the Rift Valley Province when the word ‘PC’ was synonymous with Haji, for us who grew up in the Rift Valley. In fact, when he left after over 20 years, anybody who came would be asked, ‘who is the Haji of the Rift Valley?’ This is because he became synonymous with the PC’s position. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was privileged and honoured in my younger years to interact and work with Sen. Yusuf Haji, from the time I came to this Chamber in 2013. I found out that despite the position, experience and age, there was no one who was more respectful to authority than Sen. Haji. If Sen. Haji was a Member of your Committee and you were the Chair, you knew for sure that you have a loyal Member of your Committee. When I came into leadership as the Deputy Majority Leader, Sen. Haji gave me, and those who were in leadership, maximum support. Even later when I became the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Haji became the person I used to go to ask for counsel. I remember one day, we went with him to see the Deputy President over something that was in Garissa. I was even shocked with the way he was approaching the Office of the Deputy President. I thought I was more casual than he was. He really respected authority. If something came from the President as it used to - most of the time any communication, I brought to this House that came from him - Sen. Haji was a person who could not countermand. He would not even ask me to get evidence, whether the President wanted something to be done this way or the other. He was loyal to the authority, which was his strength, but at some point, I even thought it was his weakness. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will give you an example. Sen. Haji did not want to serve as the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, but the President had told me that there is no other person who will chair the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations. It must be Sen. Haji. Therefore, I came here and told Sen. Haji, “We are making you the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations.” He told me, “No, my son, I am now satisfied to serve. Let others serve. I have served long enough. Let me give an opportunity to other young people like you to serve.” I told him, “Call the President and tell him you are unwilling to serve.” He told me, “If it came from the President, that is it. I am going to take this responsibility.” He took it with a lot of humility. I want to thank Sen. Sakaja, who was his Vice Chair, because they worked seamlessly. Sen. Sakaja took the responsibilities on his behalf, like Sen. Fatuma Dullo did in the last term. Mr. Speaker, Sir, something else I learnt from him is that he was able to stand firm like Sen. Orengo said. Maybe the only time I saw him stand very firm, which I said 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."
}