Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1064882,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1064882/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 242,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. C.J. That created a moment that crystalised the constitutional imperative to seek peace, security and unity. That is something that we must constantly put at the back of our minds. What we are doing is that we are seeking peace, security and unity. When the two leaders shook hands to create a truly bipartisan opportunity to unite this country – unity that has eluded this country since Independence – they set in motion a process that will identify comprehensive and far-reaching changes that would strengthen the rule of law, unite Kenyans, deepen our constitutionalism and launch a comprehensive process to consolidate this momentous opportunity. So, the handshake was not an end in itself but rather the beginning of a bigger process that will go beyond 2022, 2027 and into the future. To concretise this initiative, the Building Bridges Advisory Presidential Task Force was appointed by the President in May, 2018, and it submitted its report after consultations with Kenyans. One year later, on 26th November 2019, this document was unveiled and was then taken back to people for validation. Most importantly, we should remind ourselves where we started. During the handshake, the two leaders agreed on a nine-point agenda. They believed addressing the nine points would sort out the long-term issues of this country. Among those issues was the lack of a national ethos—what makes us Kenyan. Why are we shouting at one another? Why do people keep fighting? Can people not have a way they can talk to each other rather than at each other? We believe there is something that binds us as Kenyans. What are your responsibility as a citizen? Members may recall that in the run up to the passage of the Constitution in 2010, part of the agitation for rights was that we need water in sufficient quantities and we need housing. But if you look at the Constitution, apart from the obligation that citizens have a right to defend their Constitution, there is very little in terms of the rights and responsibilities of citizens towards their country. The other item of the nine points was ethnic antagonism and competition. We fight based on our ethnic backgrounds. The competition at every election means that two years before an election we are fighting and two years after an election we are trying to heal. That costs our economy billions of shillings. Elections have been seen to be divisive. We saw that in 1992 and 1997. There was a lull in 2003 when we did not have any division. But we saw division again in 2005 when we had a very divisive referendum, and 2007 was the climax. In 2013, there was a lull, perhaps because of the International Criminal Court (ICC) cloud. In 2017, the divisions reappeared. The issue of inclusivity - I had a taste of that even this afternoon - is something that we need to figure out. How do we ensure that the youth, women and all the 47 ethnic groups that constitute Kenya can be included within the governance structures of the country so that everyone feels part of the country? On shared prosperity, how do we ensure that we do not have feelings that some people get more resources than others or that some people produce less than others? How do we ensure that every Kenyan feels that they have a fair share of the national cake? Most importantly, looking back at what we said about responsibilities and rights, how do we ensure that every Kenyan feels obligated to take their fair share in the baking of the national cake? The other item that was to be addressed through the BBI was the big issue of corruption. Everyone believes that we waste a lot of resources through corruption. Whether you are talking of who is taking a bribe or who is wasting resources, and you can take this to the bank—it does not The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}