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{
    "id": 1153144,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1153144/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 84,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": "The other good thing about him is that he always stayed behind in the House. He would spend hours until midnight. He had a famous tree there where some of you know what happens under that tree. He would listen and have camaraderie with Members. After a debate where you were having political differences arguing against each other, you would go for a cup of tea or a glass of something. You would then continue with the debate and come into a semblance of understanding. As I finish, let me give my two experiences with President Kibaki. One, whenever I spoke to President Kibaki about Argwings Kodhek, he could spend an hour talking about him. I think that is the politician he admired most. If you go to the HANSARD, you will realize why Kodhek liked humour, he liked wit. He was good on his feet just like Kibaki. I remember one of the cases that Argwings Kodhek did when he was defending people who had been arrested for loitering with intent. Argwings’ defense in court was that if you are a normal human being, you cannot loiter without intent. Most of the time when you are walking, you must have some intentions of going somewhere. Kibaki would repeat that one. Another thing that I want to say that I remember him for was when we were having a final meeting at Harambee House in the presence of Presidents Kikwete, Mkapa and Dr. Koffi Anan. He was there alone sitting with the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga discussing the trouble that occured after the 2007 Elections. The only person who was called to that room was Amos Wako as the Attorney General. Hon. Raila insisted that he needed his lawyer to be in that room. I was privileged to be in that room. Many questions and arguments were thrown around in that room. When we reached some understanding, everybody who was in the Government was standing outside the President’s Office, knocking the door wanting to come in; and Kibaki would keep on saying: “No! no! do not allow them. Wataleta tu fitina .” He would say in Kiswahili. So, at the end of the day when an agreement was reached, I was dispatched with Wako to go to Serena and do a draft which was signed that very day. I can imagine if we had all receded to our teams, the Grand Coalition Government would not have been formed. President Kibaki had the sense of saying wachana na hao watu ambao wako nje. That shows he was somebody who was seeing the bigger picture of what needed to be done at that moment. I mourn President Kibaki. I mourn with other Kenyans that President Kibaki goes down in history as one of the greatest parliamentarians, one of the great debaters, one of the best presidents and one of the best academic scholars that this country has ever produced. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}