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{
    "id": 1065569,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1065569/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 36,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ugenya, MDG",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Ochieng’",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2955,
        "legal_name": "David Ouma Ochieng'",
        "slug": "david-ouma-ochieng"
    },
    "content": "been divided that way. I am happy this whole division has finally come to an end by this Bill coming. I have witnessed the blackmail and the intimidation that Members of this House have gone through when this process was going on. Some of them have lost their leadership positions. You go to a cabinet secretary and they ask you whether you support the BBI or not. The process which we have gone through to reach here today has been in my opinion quite treacherous. That is why I am very happy that this House has a chance to speak to what is in the Bill. Kenya should not go through a similar process in future, where a process for changing the Constitution divides this country to a level where, in Parliament, a Member will look at you based on what he perceives. There is a book done by George Orwel called 1984, which says that the State can look at you like this and it will already know what you are thinking. The State can look at you and know that this one is this way. That is why when this whole process was going on, it was very difficult to be a Member of Parliament. They would look at Ochieng and say he does not support Raila, therefore, he supports Ruto, hence, he opposes the BBI. This is what we have gone through as Members of Parliament. I am happy this is coming to an end because Members cannot be asked to check their minds every time they want to talk on an issue. So, in future, in my opinion, this kind of processes, especially for Members of Parliament, should be such that they know it will all end up here the way it has ended up here today. We have our chance to do this. We have heard Members of Parliament being arrested. This happened during a very difficult situation of the pandemic. This Parliament is seen to be insensitive because we are giving too much energy to the BBI than to other pressing matters. That is why the sooner we deal with this matter the better."
}