GET /api/v0.1/hansard/entries/114421/?format=api
HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 114421,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/114421/?format=api",
"text_counter": 210,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Eng. Gumbo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 24,
"legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
"slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
},
"content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support the Presidentâs Address to the nation. I join my colleagues in expressing my support for the quest by the people of Kenya to attain a new Constitution. I think this matter has been overdue. We have been on it for over 20 years now and probably it is time we got it behind us so that the country can move forward. Even as we go through the process of giving our country a new Constitution, I would like to say that even the best written constitutions in the world do not mean much if the people of that country, and in this case we are talking about Kenya, do not find it in their hearts to put the country first. Some of the most tried and tested constitutions in the world are no more than ten pages long but they have survived over 200 years. This is simply because the people in those countries found it in their hearts to put their country first. I urge my countrymen and women that as we embark on this process, we know the mistakes that have been made in this country. One of the major leaps we have to make as a country, is to find it in our hearts to always put our country, Kenya first. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also gratifying to note that in his Address, the President affirmed the Grand Coalition Governmentâs resolve to deal with corruption squarely. I agree with the President when he says that in order to win this war, we must apply the law in a manner that is impartial and just. He also said that we must not politicize or personalize the fight against corruption. All this is commendable but we must divorce the fight against corruption from mere lip service. As I speak now, the Free Primary Education Programme is almost on its knees. I made a spot check of some of the schools in my constituency. For example, where pupils are supposed to get seven exercise books, they are given only two. It is very important that we mean what we say when we talk about the fight against corruption. I know, for example, that some steps have been taken to address corruption in the Ministry of Education, but I also remember very clearly that sometime in December, the President gave a directive that those responsible for Free Primary Education fund theft should be brought to book, arrested and charged in court. It is important that Kenyans are told the officials involved. We know that some officials in the Ministry of Education have been charged with theft of funds but it is important that this country is told who among those was responsible for Free Primary Education. As we know, Free Primary Education falls under the Directorate of Basic Education (DBE) at the Ministry. It is time as a country, we were told who in the DBE has been found culpable for the loss of the funds. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the issue of national cohesion is very important. I have always advocated that we stand to gain when we stand as a country. I think it is time this country dealt with the cancer of negative ethnicity. To me, it has not brought much to our country. It has dragged us back. Some of the countries which we compared ourselves with 40 years ago have made major strides because their people put them first. We need to see what the National Cohesion Commission does in terms of addressing serious imbalances in some of our Ministries where you find that the population of some ethnic communities go almost to 50 per cent. I think it is within the mandate of this Commission to address this. Finally, I laud the President when he says that we should always cherish and protect our nation as enumerated in our National Anthem âfirm may we stand to defendâ. I want to believe that when the President makes such statements, he means it from the"
}