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{
    "id": 1067978,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1067978/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 145,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nyeri Town, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Ngunjiri Wambugu",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13460,
        "legal_name": "Martin Deric Ngunjiri Wambugu",
        "slug": "martin-deric-ngunjiri-wambugu"
    },
    "content": "put us in this House are disappointed with us when we are unable to look at the global good of our nation and get stuck in our personal ambitions. Hon. Speaker, when His Excellency the President and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga shook hands, I was shocked. I never saw that coming. I know I speak for many in this House. What I remember is that the country calmed down immediately. We are not always going to have the President and the Former Prime Minister as leaders of this nation as much as we might love them. Because of that, they initiated a process that was going to ensure that we were not going to depend on individuals for our country to be politically stable. They set up a committee that went around the country asking people to tell them why they think we keep going there every election. I find it extremely interesting when I listen to some of my colleagues talk about the problems they have with this particular Bill. I remember that they did not turn up to the forums that were organized by the BBI secretariat to raise their concerns. I come from Nyeri County. Nyeri County was looking at losing three constituencies that had been protected 10 years ago. The BBI protects those constituencies and ensures that the people of Nyeri have a representation of at least six Members of Parliament in this House. Recently, I heard a colleague talking about the reason why we should have got another constituency because we have a big constituency called Kieni that is 52 per cent of our county. This particular process of how constituencies have been produced is not a political process. It is a scientific process. It is a mathematical process. When you do the maths of our county, we are supposed to have 5.9 constituencies, or six. Internally, we are going to do our maths and figure out how to rearrange our boundaries, but we were not going to get another constituency as Nyeri County, not with the numbers we have. However, we nearly lost at least two constituencies. That is why I would be very concerned when I hear any leader from Nyeri County saying that they do not support this particular Bill. When we come to this House, we come to represent the people who sent us to this House. I have walked around Nyeri Town Constituency, I have listened to the people of Nyeri Town Constituency. They sent me to this House to say that they support this Bill 100 per cent. I know I speak on behalf of many people from many constituencies in Nyeri County. Hon. Speaker, I have also heard concerns raised here about certain areas that are not perfect. We are human beings: Every single thing that we do cannot be perfect. Wise people said that perfect is the enemy of good. As we strive for perfection, we risk throwing away solutions that are good for us. Which solutions are these? For example, I have heard that there is a political refrain called bottoms up. If you come from a constituency, if you come from a ward, you cannot be any more bottom than that. This BBI provides a solution for that bottom in two ways. First, it reduces the amount of money that is left at national Government and takes 35 per cent to the county government. I have heard people arguing that we do not have enough money. It does take 35 per cent to the county government. That is taking money to the bottom. That 35 per cent, if for no other reason, I ask Members, the county government takes care of healthcare up to Level 5, the county government takes care of agriculture, if you want to improve those, put money in the county government. Number two, let us be honest with ourselves. What is the alternative to this proposal that we are saying we should not take? So, I urge my colleagues: let us join hands and support this Bill. Let us take it to Kenyans because they will prove that we are doing the right thing. I thank you."
}