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{
    "id": 1072425,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1072425/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 92,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "understands that they have much place in this country as the big community, all of these efforts we are talking about towards cohesion will mean nothing. I have brought a Statement that I hope I will get a chance to present this afternoon about what is happening in Nairobi. Look at Mlango Kubwa where young people are being harassed and hounded by police. Can something similar happened in Lavington or Karen? Kenyans are treated differently. What kind of country is this where there is a first class citizen and a second class citizen? A first class country cannot have different classes of citizens. Every individual Kenyan must be able to enjoy the same rights. That is the true pursuit that we as legislators in this House of equalization--- This is the only House of equalization. This is a House where the Senator for Lamu with 120,000 people has one vote like the Senator for Nairobi with 4.3 million people. This is a House of equalization that balances out the tyranny of majority in the National Assembly. That is why such a petition must take heavy precedence, must be looked at with a lot of significance in the Senate more than even in the National Assembly because that is a House of representatives. Here we have corporate representation. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I urge Senators, especially those who have been here for a long time: How do we assist this Committee? I have pending petititions in the Committee of Lands and I know their chairman, Sen. Mwangi, is extremely hardworking. He actually goes out of his way. Sometimes he is in the Labour Committee. We must be creative. That Committee has too many functions; lands, housing, environment and water. Sometimes they may not be effective. They also have wildlife where they look at issues to do with animals. Moving forward, we cannot operate like that. I hope this petition goes to the Committee on Justice as opposed to the Committee on Lands. The amount of Kshs10 billion that His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta spoke about years ago in the State of the Nation Address when he did one of the things that was recommended in the TJRC Report; he asked for forgiveness on behalf of the Republic of the Government of Kenya. Remember the Government of the Republic of Kenya exists in perpetuity from the colonial government, then the first Government. That was a big thing. Thereafter, he said that a fund of Kshs10 billion - and I am not sure if the National Assembly then appropriated it - be set aside this fund to help address these historical issues. What is the institutional framework through which this is being done? Many times I have faith in Sen. Omogeni’s leadership as the chairperson of JLAC. He has been outstanding. Those are the questions that we must bring answers to. Was it just a promise? I am sure the President had good intentions when he gave that directive. What is the legislative and institutional framework through which we can bring solutions and heal wounds? Look at what happened in Wagalla. Those people were happy when the President made that apology and committed that money. However, years later, nothing has been done. We need to look at that and I pray that the prayers of these petitioners will not land on deaf years. I hope that their prayers will not be in vain. I support his petition."
}