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{
    "id": 1403171,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1403171/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 69,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ugenya, MDG",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Ochieng’",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2955,
        "legal_name": "David Ouma Ochieng'",
        "slug": "david-ouma-ochieng"
    },
    "content": "It is a shame that this kind of a protocol is something that we have to discuss on the Floor of this House. This should be something that goes without saying. How we treat our armed forces and other people who serve the country is very important. Our military has been on the spotlight in the last few days. Throughout our processes in the country, starting with budget-making, we endeavour to ensure that our defence forces are very well taken care of. In my opinion, the important thing for us as a country is to live by what is set under Article 10 of the Constitution. This should be the beginning and the end of how we run the affairs of the country. The day we decide that we will run this country based on a shared set of values, principles, patriotism, integrity, taking care of each other and ensuring that all of us grow together to build the country, we will get it right. This is the best way to treat all our citizens. It has been so disheartening this last one week as we mourned the CDF, who is a gentleman par excellence. He was a cool guy who could not do an offence. However, speculation is now rife about how his death occurred. For example, there is fatigue in the military. Many people are using military aircrafts or there was a helicopter that was supposed to have carried the CDF, but it did not. This is happening because we are slowly trending on a very dangerous path. We are almost politicising our military. One thing that we have done very well as a country is to keep our military off politics. I wish this remains so. I advise all politicians in this country, from the top all the way down, to keep the military out of politics. Let us endeavour to ensure that they remain as they have been: professional, with integrity and doing their job the way they do. The whole world respects our military. We cannot bring that image down. Doing what Hon. Ruweida is proposing here will be one of the ways of honouring our soldiers in the country. The second way will be how we recruit military staff. In the last six years, we have had issues with their recruitment. This is an area that should be handled. We should always ensure that part of our public service is left to be run like the clock-work. It is the best we can do for the country. Kenya is not only a small country but also, it has probably the biggest military in this part of the world. If anything happens that undermines their integrity, preparedness and stature as a formation, it will be worse for this country. I request those who are concerned to take action. I believe that this should just go without saying. As we often see when we travel, the people who work for airlines ask for your name when you get to the airport. For example, I say my name is Hon. David Ochieng’, Member for Ugenya. They then ask for your identification card. If you do not have it, issues will arise. At that point, you tell them you have a copy in your phone. Everyone has now embraced technology. However, the airline staff will still refuse to accept the digital copy. This is largely because of the loss of values and things that bind us and which we share. I repeat that, if this country can live under what we agreed to do under Article 10 of the Constitution, then we can go very far. I request the concerned parties, that is, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), and the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) to ensure that people understand and know what is set out under Article 10 of the Constitution and let Kenyans live by it. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion."
}