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{
    "id": 1058197,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1058197/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 42,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I also want to eulogize the late Francis Waititu on my own behalf and on behalf of my constituents. I will not repeat what my colleagues have said but, it is true that the Hon. Member was a friend to many, if not all, in this House. Sometimes, when I looked at Waititu and the way he behaved, you would tell yourself that probably all of us need to represent cosmopolitan constituencies to appreciate that we can live in diversity and that ethnic polarization does not help this country at all. This is one gentleman in this House who, even if you had differences politically, or were on different sides of the political divide, you could still find time and discuss constructively. In fact, I remember that immediately after the last General Elections, he was so passionate about Raila and Uhuru shaking hands. At that time, no one even knew that there would be shaking of hands. He was one of those Kenyans who were really praying that this country could come together, live together and that there would be peace. One thing he kept on repeating was that we needed peace in this country. He would sometimes irritate you with that statement because he would repeat it severally. Those of us who were on the other side of the political divide would ask him if he was asking for peace because he was in power and wanted to stay there. I think he meant it from the passion with which he said it. He was a friend to all of us. It took me some time to know he was unwell until when I did not see him for quite some time in the House. That is when I got to learn that he was in India. Later, he came out publicly and spoke about his condition and about other Members of Parliament suffering the same. My concluding remarks would be that we need to look at the health sector in this country to address the issue of cancer. It has ceased to be a rich man’s disease. Hon. Waititu was a person of average means. Poor Kenyans who are suffering and dying from that disease cannot be counted. In fact, some of them die without knowing it is cancer. They term it as other local diseases. Some think they are bewitched. The truth of the matter is that cancer is widespread in this country. As leaders and policy makers, we need to think through this matter. It is something that we should not just leave to the counties. There should be a policy direction from the national Government level. I pray with the family of the late Francis Waititu. May God rest his soul in eternal peace."
}