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{
    "id": 1063153,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1063153/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 145,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Abdulkadir Mohamed Haji",
    "speaker_title": "The Senator for Garissa County",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "As I reflect on this honourable institution, it is not lost on me that historically, the Kenyan Senate has always been formed at pivotal moments when our country tries to reengineer, renew and rebirth itself. Indeed, the Senate has never grappled with easy issues. It has been faced with enormous challenges, and I will illustrate that briefly. When the First Senate was formed, at the formation of the Republic, it faced the challenge of a young nation trying to break free from the shackles of colonialism. The Second Senate was birthed when Kenya ushered in a new constitutional dispensation. It was faced with the challenge of bringing to life the new constitutional order and setting up the foundations of ideals and aspirations contained therein. The third convention of the Senate, which I now join, is also faced with tough challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic has tragically exposed the risks humanity faces and how unprepared we are to respond. People’s health, wellbeing, and livelihoods are all affected. We are faced with a crisis which has only served to reveal various cracks in the fabric of our nationhood. Make no mistake; this is a crisis faced world over. Every state in this world is grappling with the pandemic and we are no exception. However, an honest look at our country shows that the pandemic has revealed the growing economic and social inequalities that existed way before, but have now been worsened. I join this House at a time when my people in Garissa and all Kenyans are experiencing unprecedented tough times. We are losing Kenyans to Covid-19; 2,300 and counting. These are not just statistics; they are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, grandparents and friends. Families are in pain. As someone who has undergone the loss of a loved one, I know this pain all too well. It is a pain made worse by the uncertainty of what the future holds. Does this Senate have a role in easing the collective pain we have undergone and continue to experience as a country? Does this Third Senate have a role in renewing the collective dreams, hopes and aspirations of Kenyans? In my humble opinion, we do have a role. The Constitution empowers us to represent the interest of the counties and the governments. In this, I read that the debates and decisions that we make, especially during these challenging times, must be empathetic to the people we represent in those"
}