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{
    "id": 1269635,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1269635/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 350,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ugunja, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Opiyo Wandayi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " I want to help reduce the temperatures. Let me start by saying that sometimes when I sit here and listen to Members speak, I really get amazed. I have seen Members from the 11th Parliament who were then very supportive of these kinds of atrocities by the police, but come the 12th Parliament, they were here crying. They cried throughout. Now, come the 13th Parliament, they have gone back to their 11th Parliament position. You can protect a monster which will eventually devour you. I can vividly remember that sometime in 2014, there were attempts by this House to remove powers from the National Police Service Commission and vest them in the Inspector-General of Police. I stood here and warned Members, but I have since been vindicated. In this country, there were times under the previous constitutional dispensation when you could not even get a chance, not only to demonstrate, but to also meet publicly. There were times in this country when you could not even speak freely on the Floor of this House. The Constitution of Kenya 2010 is a product of a very long and painful struggle. Our Constitution is known the world over for its robust and elaborate Bill of Rights, which provides for the right to demonstrate, picket and do whatever you want to do under Article 37. No authority or person has power to suspend the operations of Article 37 of the Constitution. In this country, it has now become common place that demonstrations of whatever kind, especially the ones currently underway, are always peaceful until and unless the police intervene with brutal force. That is a fact. If you care to listen, please, listen to me. It will be a very sad day if our country were to be allowed to slide to the status of the failed States that we know of. Why do I say so? As we speak - I am speaking from a point of knowledge - there seems to be parallel commands The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}