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{
    "id": 1272323,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1272323/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 120,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Hon. Speaker. I am sorry to raise this now. You noticed when you were up on your feet, there were Members who were standing and canvassing very loudly. I also noticed that last week. We are now making the National Assembly look like a village market place. Not even a market place because there are some markets that have very decent people who are also quiet. When Members stand to speak, there are Members who have made it a habit of heckling, shouting and never allowing other Members to speak. What worries me is that you are on your feet and there is a group of Members canvassing in vernacular behind here. Another group at the corner there are also canvassing very loudly and we can hardly hear you. I just want to ask you and the chairpersons who sit on your seat when you are not there to exercise firmness in how we transact business on the Floor of the House. If you noticed last week on Thursday when we had the Adjournment Motion, Hon. Rozaah Buyu rose from her seat where Hon. Caroli Omondi is seated today, and walked to the front menacingly. Fortunately, I am not Hon. Sabina Chege, I could not stop saying what I was saying. There are Members who will not have the courage to continue speaking. When people shout at you when you are speaking, people tend to lose their train of thought and Members get derailed from being able to debate. We must make this House a House of debate. It is very embarrassing when you cut out your name in this House, that the best thing you can do is open your mouth, shout and heckle others. It is an embarrassment to the people who have elected you, that they elected you to come to a debating House to debate and they chose you amongst many other Kenyans who were vying for that position. I do not want to name names but they are known. Those who have made it a habit of heckling and shouting. There are those who hold that trophy in this House. It is also unfortunate that some of our new Members are learning from veterans of the House who have been here for a long time. I struggled, Hon. Speaker, when Members on this side — and you will bear me witness — attempted to shout down the Leader of the Minority Party. I told them to allow him to say what he had to say. I just want to beg that you help us to restore the dignity of this House because every day it is sinking to new lows. It is sad when it is Members who are making us look like we are in a market place. It worries me now that it began with when Members are speaking, now even when the Hon. Speaker is on his feet, Members are still standing, walking around and canvassing. It is not fair, not to you but to the dignity and honour of this House. I just want to beg that you also implore on the Members of the Speaker’s Panel to be firm. There is no reason why Members should rise from their place to go and attempt to stop Hon. Opiyo Wandayi from criticising the Government. He is the Leader of the Minority Party and that is his work. He has no other work. The same with me. I have no other work but to push Government Business on the Floor of this House. Whether you like my voice, looks or what I am saying, hold your horses. You do not have to like me, what I am saying or what Hon. Opiyo Wandayi is saying. I particularly never like anything Hon. Robert Mbui says, but I allow him to say it and I will have the time to respond. Hon. Speaker, I just want to beg that we restore the dignity and honour of the people who have elected us to come and represent them. I do not think there is any Kenyan who elected a Member of Parliament to come to the House to heckle other Members. There are places to heckle in markets and bars. If you want to moan, you can go moan in funerals and not here. 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."
}