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{
    "id": 114712,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/114712/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 206,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Defence",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 192,
        "legal_name": "Joseph Kasaine Ole Nkaissery",
        "slug": "joseph-nkaissery"
    },
    "content": "I thank the President for highlighting Government policy in his Speech. However, there are some fundamental things which lack in the Speech. I do not think I will blame the President for that but the Speech writers. The President’s speech writers do not have the pastoralists in their hearts. There was no mention of the suffering of the pastoralists in the Presidential Address. Last year, and the whole country is aware, pastoralists lost between 70 and 80 per cent of their livestock, and yet there was not even a mitigating statement in that Address that could give hope and courage to the pastoralist community. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the purpose of record, the livestock sector generates Kshs43 billion annually. It employs 90 per cent of Kenyans in the rural areas and it forms 5 per cent of the country’s GDP. It is unfortunate that this sector was not mentioned in the President’s Address. Those speechwriters should wake up because that is very unfortunate. There is another area which I felt was very important, and the President’s Address ought to have touched on. We have the Interim Independent Boundaries Commission (IIBRC), but it was not mentioned in the President’s Address. This is a very emotive area because there are historical injustices which the President should have mentioned in his Address so that when we dwell on this debate outside this House, it carries some weight. For me who comes from Kajiado Central or the Maasai community of southern Kenya, the railway line was the boundary between Rift Valley Province and Eastern Province. That should be adjusted. This is the right time to correct the wrongs of the past. This is the right time to dwell on those issues. There is a place called “Olerian” which borders Kyulu. It was taken and given to the Kenya Wildlife Service. That should be corrected and this is the right time to do that. Matters to do with the environment are very important, but the speechwriters did not touch on them. The water towers of this country should be given due consideration. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President talked about corruption, but there was no decisive and firm message. Our yesterday’s thieves are today’s heroes who sit at the front row of the State. We know the Triton scandal and the maize saga. The Presidential Address should have touched decisively on these issues and the people involved. Talking about fighting corruption without action is nothing. It is a song Kenyans are used to. It will be fair during this Session if this House seized these matters and exposed this vice. The President talked about national cohesion. Hon. Members of the august House have to preach peace, unity and oneness in this country. We are all one nation. The message of the President with regard to this was very important. However, we have a habit in this country that the big tribes want to join together. We have a monster which is growing. It is called “KKK”. If you bring up the issue of KKK, and yet we are talking about national unity, the smaller communities will feel--- The President’s Address on national cohesion should have started by attacking tribal factions. Ethnicity is a disease in this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, another area the President’s speech writers did not put emphasis on is the issue of impunity in this country. There are several things that happen in this country and one would think that the law does not exist. It is the responsibility of this House to ensure that impunity is eliminated in this nation. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is the only time we can confront the dragon called “corruption”. If we cannot deal with impunity, it will be an exercise in futility for us, as"
}