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{
    "id": 110166,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/110166/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 500,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "But at the same time, I doubt whether, indeed, we need to go through 150 amendments and I also doubt whether if we went through those amendments one by one and given the limitation we have and the fact that on each particular amendment to even pass it or constitute a quorum, we will require two thirds majority of us here. We may go to the extent where we may not be able to touch the fundamental areas which are important. I, therefore, make a request and appeal to hon. Members that: Let us look at those amendments which are crucial. Let us go through a reduction process and agree on the few amendments which are important for this Constitution to go through. However, if we go through so many of these amendments, as we have been debating here, we should not lose sight of the fact that the eyes of Kenyans and the international community are looking at us to find whether we, hon. Members of the Tenth Parliament, this time round, will give Kenyans the Constitution that they have been longing for, for more than 20 years. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I can say that it is true that Kenya needed a Constitution and wanted democratic space much earlier and that is why we fought for Independence. But let us also agree that immediately after Independence, in Africa, the kinds of governments we had were almost all dictatorial and that was instilled by the Cold War that existed during that time. If you look at other countries including America, they were not as democratic as they are today. If that was the case, how come you had Joseph McCarthy and Capricious? A number of Americans; innocent people, were destroyed. What I am trying to say is that it was later on as the Cold War began to ease that democratic processes started, not only in Africa or Kenya but all over the world. Ours started in 1999 and had been triggered by an extremely flawed General Election that was held in 1988 through the one party and the queuing system. Kenyans expressed a great deal of dissatisfaction and that is why in 1990 a committee was set up to go all over the country and hear the views of Kenyans. I can state because it is documented that I happened to have been the chairman of that particular committee. I had among the members, His Excellency, the President and many others. At the conclusion of that, Kenyans told us clearly in no uncertain terms that they wanted a new Constitution; that"
}