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{
    "id": 1111504,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1111504/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 221,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Faki",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13211,
        "legal_name": "Mohamed Faki Mwinyihaji",
        "slug": "mohamed-faki-mwinyihaji-2"
    },
    "content": "Early this year, Zanzibar celebrated producing the first female President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu. It was a great honour not only to the women of Tanzania and Africa in general, but also to the Swahili nation for having the first woman President of a country. The Swahili nation has now given the world its first Nobel Laureate of Swahili origin and whose first language is Kiswahili, which is definitely another reason for celebration. As a member of the Swahili nation, this moment makes me proud. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Prof. Gurnah was born in Zanzibar before migrating to England after the revolution in 1964 when many Zanzibar intellectuals were either killed or exiled because of their political beliefs. He began writing as a 21-year-old living in England, publishing his first novel 18 years later. His work, as has been recognized by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, spans diverse experiences of colonialism and its aftermath from German occupying Tanganyika in the 19th Century to present day England. Prof. Gurnah has written extensively on the impact of colonization of Africa. Despite many African counties gaining independence, the colonial mentality is still prevalent in our countries. Although we are politically independent, we are still dominated by foreign powers that have taken away our sovereignty. We are dependent on foreign loans for the development of our countries. Mr. Speaker, Sir, due to that dependence on foreign loans, we have stifled the economies of our countries. For example, Mombasa has been thriving as a port for many years even before Kenya came into being. It was a major commercial and trade centre in the East African Coast, second only to Zanzibar. Even after Independence, Mombasa continued to thrive. However, in the recent past, we have seen the economy of Mombasa being stifled as a result of the Government policies that prioritise the use of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), as opposed to free enterprise in transportation of cargo from the Port of Mombasa to Nairobi and other destinations. The Government in Nairobi clearly seems not to consider the wellbeing of Mombasa’s economy in depriving legitimate business persons their livelihood by its directives on the use of SGR only. The Government is imposing its ideas on the people of Mombasa, the same way the colonial government did. In the light of this, and as captured in the works of the fist Vice-President, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in his book Not Yet Uhuru, we, as a country, are yet to free ourselves from the bondage of colonialism and neocolonialism. Not until we do that can we claim to be truly free to chart the future of our country on our terms. Unless we free Africa from the shackles of colonialism and neocolonialism, as well as the negative implications of globalization, our countries are doomed to struggle for space in the global economy. In conclusion, I convey my heartfelt congratulations to my brother, Prof. Abulrazak Gurnah. Long live the Swahili nation. Long live Africa."
}