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{
    "id": 1257916,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1257916/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 37,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, you need to protect Hon. Babu Owino. He has never carried a gun into the Chamber but elsewhere. You need to ensure that him and Kimani Ichung’wah do not walk in with guns, grenades or anything else. I beg that we allow our security agencies to secure us. I want to tell Kenyans and the world that Parliament, and by extension the National Assembly of Kenya, is an open place for people. Kenyans are free to picket and air their views. Yesterday, I said that the Finance Bill is the only Bill that has had the most robust public participation in the last 15 years. This morning, I was listening to a vernacular radio station called Kameme FM. I heard a former Member of County Assembly (MCA), who was a cleaner in my county. He used to be a sweeper and was fortunately elected as MCA. He was pretending to be a finance expert in that talk show, saying all manner of fake things. Since we know the owners of Kameme FM are part of the propaganda machinery against the Finance Bill, we allow them. I also want to assure the people of Kenya even as they picket and express their views; as I said during the Second Reading debate, a lot of misinformation, lies and propaganda, including that on Kameme FM, that what you are being told, is not true. Nobody will die or get hurt because this Finance Bill has passed. I want to ask Hon. Robert Mbui this afternoon to be ready to vote for those progressive clauses in the Bill that he thinks will be beneficial to the people of Kathiani. With regard to those that you think are not beneficial, I urge you to bring amendments and not to play to the gallery. Hon. Deputy Speaker, let me end there because we have very important business ahead of us. I do not think this was a matter for debate. I just wanted to respond to my good friend, Hon. Opiyo Wandayi, and assure him that he is secure and safe. However, as much as you are safe, please do not organise anybody to stop me or other Members of Kenya Kwanza or Azimio from coming to the House to work. Members must not be intimidated by people who support this Bill from coming here to oppose it on the Floor of the House. Hon. Babu Owino should have the freedom to come and oppose this Bill on the Floor of the House. I know those who are not in the House, like my friend, Hon. John Mbadi, get very excited because he needs to be seen to be opposing this Bill. Those who never voted for the Second Reading in Azimio need to be seen and heard to be opposing this Bill. You have seen the kind of letters they are getting from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). The ODM, as a political party, must stop intimidating its members."
}