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{
    "id": 1201081,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1201081/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 161,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first, let me join the President in congratulating all the extra women who were elected as Members of Parliament (MPs) in the individual constituencies. We know that it has been a difficult process in this country to try and make sure that we achieve gender parity especially in the National Assembly. As the SG of ODM, I am very proud that out of those six extra seats that women got in the National Assembly, two of them came from ODM. I am happy that in this House, we have leaders of political parties. I have counted at least three SGs in this Senate. I am sure they will share in my disappointment. This is because when Sen. Tobiko was speaking to this point, she urged that political parties need to do more in order to encourage more women to participate in elections and end up being elected. I am sure the SGs in this House can share in my experience. In fact, if we do not re look at the entire architecture of how people get elected to individual posts, then it will be very difficult for us to achieve the gender parity that we are looking for. This first past the post system simply does not work if you want to achieve gender parity in the Houses of Parliament. I hope that even as people continue to ask political parties to do more, we can have a relook at the entire architecture so that we do not just blame political parties for not doing enough to have women elected. I was happy to hear that the President expects bi-partisan support for his agenda. That bi partisan support can only come when we see the sort of respect that I was speaking about and the realisation that he is now the leader of the entire country and not partisan positions being advocated out there. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also heard the President speak about having more resources to the Judiciary which will allow expeditious settlement of corruption cases. It has been raised on this Floor by colleagues on the Minority side that we, in fact, need to hear more about the plans of this Government to be able to fight the scourge that is corruption. We do not believe that increasing resources to the Judiciary alone is the solution to the question of corruption. You cannot argue that the only problem we are facing as a country when it comes to corruption is the question of slow resolution of those cases in the Judiciary. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I remind the country that even within the Judiciary, the problem of corruption exists. So, if you prescribe a solution, it has to be wholesome to ensure that we fight this monster once and for all. I was also very disappointed because the President has chosen to abandon some of the protections that were in place to cushion members of the public from the high cost of living. I was very disappointed that he has chosen to abandon the subsidies that were in place prior to the election when it comes to the price of fuel and food. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as we speak right now, we have a lot of Kenyans who are still suffering. We were promised by the President himself during his campaign that he would be ready on day one to tackle the problems that are afflicting our people, especially on the high cost of living. I would not have had a problem if the President maintained those subsidies for the time being as he tries to find his way around the Government and find the solutions that he believes will work so that we cushion our people from the high cost of living."
}