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{
    "id": 1152680,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1152680/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 52,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tongaren, FORD-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Eseli Simiyu",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 141,
        "legal_name": "David Eseli Simiyu",
        "slug": "david-eseli"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for this opportunity to also eulogise a great person and a great leader of this country by the name of Hon. Emilio Mwai Kibaki, the retired former President of this country. For us in the western part of Kenya, Kibaki held a special place. Indeed, in the 2002 elections, the western part of Kenya gave Kibaki close to 80 per cent of their votes. This was not just because of the influence of Michael Wamalwa Kijana, but because the Western Kenya people had great hopes in Kibaki’s Government and indeed, he did not disappoint in his tenure. Hon. Speaker, if I was to narrow down to the constituency that I represented then, Kimilili Constituency, we had a special place in our hearts for Kibaki. At one time he visited Bungoma County which was a district at that time and he came specifically to Naitiri which was in Kimilili Constituency. We will always remember him because at that time he managed to give Kimilili their own district. Kimilili had been anchoring for their own district for a very long time. At that point he also laid the foundation stone for a hospital theatre at Naitiri Hospital being built by Safaricom Foundation. He also laid a foundation stone for a 5000 litre milk cooler at the same place. He left a major mark in the wider Kimilili Constituency, now Tongaren Constituency. At that point he also gave instructions for the road from Kimilili to Misikhu to be tarmacked and indeed it was fulfilled. Hon. Speaker, I would say that I was honoured to have been in Parliament at the time Kibaki was the President of this country. He was an interesting leader in the sense that he listened more than he spoke. At one time when there had been the Tokyo Embassy scandal and Hon. Wetang’ula had stepped aside as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, he called us, the Members of Parliament from Western for a meeting at Harambee House. I told Hon. Wetang’ula that I am going to ask the President to reinstate him and when we got there, Hon. Wetang’ula grew cold feet. He told me not to mention it. I kept quiet but as the meeting was coming to an end, I mentioned The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}