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{
    "id": 11936,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/11936/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 242,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Mugo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Public Health and Sanitation",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 85,
        "legal_name": "Beth Wambui Mugo",
        "slug": "beth-mugo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, secondly, it is true that I was in the House yesterday morning but I went out at 11.00 a.m. to attend a meeting of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) which was meeting to determine or to finalize the Report which we were doing. Indeed, I was all along ready to issue the Ministerial Statement but its allocated time was not due in the morning. This also emerged to be the position during yesterday afternoon’s session when I was still ready with the Statement but the Prime Minister’s session took long prompting the issuance of the Statement to be rescheduled to today. For the Nation and Standard newspapers to have gone ahead and carried a misleading story even after I clarified the correct position as per the HANSARD is wrong and malicious. I would like the Chair to caution the publishers and also to ask for an apology from the two media houses. Mr. Speaker, Sir, concerning the insinuation by Dr. Khalwale that I do not care if a few people die. The record of my Ministry in fighting for safety of food in Kenya for Kenyans and especially aflatoxin speaks for itself and this will be captured in the Ministerial Statement that I will issue and also what I have issued in the past. Kenyans will recall that when aflatoxin contaminated maize was first imported into the country sometime back, I ordered that the maize be shipped back to the country of origin. I personally travelled to Mombasa with my officers to ensure the order was complied with. Similarly, my unwavering fight against harmful GMOs is also a matter of public knowledge. To insinuate that I do not care about Kenyans and what they eat is very misleading. Mr. Speaker, Sir, such insinuations are insulting and intended at painting my character as a disreputable Government Minister and leader. In light of all these, it is important that the concerned Member be made to withdraw and apologize and that this contribution and similar ones by other Members be expunged from the records of the House. Similarly, the order by the Deputy Speaker to the relevant Committee to conduct scrutiny and investigations was based on wrong information. It should also be paused to be investigated by a Committee because I have not failed to do my duty. Finally, for the purposes of dispelling the wrong notion that I am uncaring to the poor, I would like to remind Kenyans that this is not my character and many Kenyans will bear me out. On many occasions, I have gone out of my way to use my own resources to make the living standards of many people better. For example, when six taxi drivers were shot dead by the police in my constituency two years ago, I mobilized my own resources and the resources of many Members of this House to cater for total burial expenses for the victims and provide funds for the establishment of business for the affected families. I have not sought such facilitation for my own use although I lost my own mother and sister when serving in this House. I did this for my constituents because I care. Mr. Speaker, Sir, before I became a Member of Parliament back in 1992, I established Dagoretti Educational Bursary Fund with my own personal resources and others from friends which enabled many children from poor family backgrounds to gain access to education up to the highest possible level. The destinies of some these children are now grown up men who are serving in very important areas in this Republic; both private and public. I have over the years done many other things. I have helped Kenyans from all over the country and many Kenyans can bear me out either during funeral or medical bills or whatever it might be regardless of where they came from or who they were. Mr. Speaker, Sir, at one time when I served as a Member of the Opposition, I organized to visit Kieni people who had been removed from their homes. In fact, Mr. Orengo went with me. We took a lot of supplies and health facilities to the people. That is not a character of somebody who does not care for the poor. I can go on and on. It is on record that when a six year old girl was raped in Kiambu, I took that responsibility. There are many others. I would also like to add here that as a Member of this House, although not through the press, I have paid all my taxes. I have never said it even in public. I did this just because I believe it is important to support the services that serve the poor. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Members should not be allowed to scandalize others in the pretext of keeping the Government on its toes. They should not be allowed to mislead the Chair in full glare of national media because when the truth has been established, the damage will already have been done. Kenyans will already have been misled. It is also important that the Chair is vigilant to this unacceptable trend. While I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I feel that the Deputy Speaker also went ahead to even add more damage when he continued to malign me instead of informing the hon. Members what the HANSARD contained on the order that I was to give the Statement later in the afternoon."
}