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{
    "id": 110605,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/110605/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 295,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Lands",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Somebody is saying worse. I can see it is my chairman and I cannot contradict him. Even with those shouts that filled the nation all over that “Moi must go,” we are still in nearly the same situation as we were in 1963 onwards. Hon. Ngilu is also reminding me that there was a prejudiced Christian song where we used to sing: “ Yoteyanawezekana bila Moi !” We thought that individuals by themselves can make a change and that our country can become a better place. In designing a Constitution, we must know the problem that we want to resolve. It is only by knowing the problem that we can design the Constitution that will stand the test of time. It is only by knowing the conflicts within us and how to address them that we can design a Constitution that will last for many years. In this history, there is a time when we were almost attracted to leave alone the pursuit of change through peaceful means and even imagine that we could pursue change through arms struggle. As Malcolm asked: “Is it the ballot or the bullet?” In the Kenyan tradition, other than the struggles that took place before 1963, we had decided that we will resolve conflicts, including the constitutional ones, through the ballot and that will be signified by the referendum that the people will take part in, in order to enact this new Constitution. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we made a great achievement. This document, in other countries comes by way of revolution; by way of people shedding blood. We like citing the American Constitution, which came through struggle and a revolution. Even the French Revolution or in recent history, in South Africa, their Constitution was achieved through struggle and violence. But we are lucky here in Kenya that we are reaching this great moment, choosing the ballot rather than the bullet. And by coincidence of history, the Lancaster arrangement in 1962 and 1963 were made possible when there was a Coalition Government. I do not know whether some of you remember that. That the last phase of those discussions in Lancaster took place when both Jomo Kenyatta and Ronald Ngala were Chief Ministers in the same Government. So, it was a Grand Coalition Government like the one that we have today. So, to the extent that the Accord has made it possible for us to come together to reach this historical settlement, it is also a great achievement."
}