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{
    "id": 1166142,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1166142/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 324,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "but when I switch to my local dialect, I will be able to explain to them what happens in the Senate, what needs to be done and the legislations we are pushing. The bottom line is that one should learn to read and write in English, Kiswahili and their mother tongue. In fact, Sen. Murkomen should have added that. I can tell you for free that on this, some people will lose. At the end of the day, even if we come to the Senate, you should also be able to go back and communicate to the people. We do not want to only speak English and Kiswahili. We also need to speak Dholuo, Kalenjin, Kikuyu and other languages across the country. You should know your local language. Representation is being able to represent your people on the Floor of the House and be able to communicate back at home in public barazas, vijijis or funerals. This is very important so that people feel represented. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the aspect of representation includes language. Where you are, you are the face of representation. The fact that you are somewhere you should know that the culture, values, language and societal expectations are part of the representation that we are talking about. What Sen. Murkomen is trying to tell the country is simple; we should look beyond academic qualifications. We should look at the culture, values, societal expectations and very many other aspects that we call salient features. Mr. Temporary Speaker, I know we have time and we can even extend up to midnight but let me wind up so that so that other colleagues can also have an opportunity to speak. However, our colleagues want to go home and this is a busy season where people are making phone calls and lobbying for various seats. I hope our colleagues in the National Assembly will have the vision that we have. Academic qualification is not a yard stick for good leadership. They should know that leadership is beyond academic qualifications. There is more that involves leadership. All of us seated in this Chamber know that leadership is a unique calling. Even with a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) and whether you know how to read and write, there is a unique way in which leadership is done. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I appeal to my colleagues to pass this Bill the way it is. In the same breath, I urge our brothers and sisters in the National Assembly to process this Bill. If there are amendments to improve the Bill, I know Sen. Murkomen will not have a problem. Let the people decide. Let us not come here and dictate and imagine that we are a privileged political class where we imagine that since we are in Parliament, we are self- protecting ourselves. Elections have shown that 70-80% of Members of Parliament in any election are likely to lose in any following election. We have may professors and well read who have not been voted back. It is a double-edged sword. Therefore, there are many young people who want to contest but are yet to get their degrees but they have their form four certificates. They would like us to open the country. Even if you are 21 years old and you want to run for presidency, why should you not run? I have gone to many functions where somebody speaks very well, and upon asking who they are, you are told they are in second or third years at the university. You can see people are willing to support them."
}