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{
    "id": 1164800,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1164800/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 48,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity. My condolences to the family, friends, relatives and friends of the late Sen. (Dr.) Machage. I had the privilege and honour to serve in the last Parliament with the late Sen. (Dr.) Machage. He was such a passionate, committed public officer and particularly a servant of the people of the County of Migori. I knew Sen. (Dr.). Machage when he was in the 10th Parliament. At that point in time, I was a consultant on matters devolution and I went all the way to Kehancha in Migori County. The late Sen. (Dr.) Machage was among the Kenyans who opposed the new Constitution. His argument was that the Constitution had not provided mechanisms on how to protect new minorities who were going to be minority groups in counties where there were other larger communities. I went all the way to Kehancha with the former Prime Minister and my duty was to take the people of Kehancha through new Constitution and the chapter on devolution. At that point in time, I was a member of the Task Force on Devolved Government. Madam Temporary Speaker, that man was so passionate about the people of Kuria; his own people and the things that affected them. Even though he was opposed to the Constitution, the issues that he raised at the time are still alive. We still have challenges on matters devolution particularly new minorities. In areas where you have communities who many not be the majority in the country but they are a majority in the county. The problems that bedeviled the devolution are still about further marginalization of minority groups. I do not come from Migori County, but the aspiring and future Governor of that county, Sen. (Dr.) Ochillo-Ayacko, and any other person who will govern Migori County will have a duty to ensure that the people of Kuria are protected the way Senator Machage wanted. When he had the opportunity to serve as a Senator, he came from the minority side and I was on the majority side as I have been until the ‘handshake’. Madam Temporary Speaker, the late Sen. (Dr.) Machage was a firm defender of the rights of the people of Migori County as a whole. He fought for devolution and accountability. The late Sen. (Dr.) Machage and I had a very interesting relationship. He was an elder to some of us, a great story teller and a fluent speaker of Kiswahili. Most of the times in this Chamber, he debated in Kiswahili. He gave us very interesting stories from different riwayas, tamthilia and many other stories of which he narrated in Kiswahili. It was easy for him to do so because he lived in a border county. Therefore, he would sometimes live in Tanzania but mostly on the Kenyan side. Towards the end of the term of the 11th Parliament, he switched sides and sided with us as you will see what many people will do in this Chamber. Many of us here will change sides. One of the most interesting moments we had - Sen. Wetangula must remember this - was when we were dealing with the Elections Act Amendments. There were these"
}