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{
"id": 1427631,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1427631/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
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"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr Temporary Speaker, Sir, as we go to our various counties, I take this opportunity to say how grateful I am to the people of Tana River for having elected me and all the contributions and for the wonderful people that we have met here. I know very many of us have been going over the weekends, but now we have a longer opportunity to consult. We shall look at the issues that are facing us and one of the major issues facing our county includes the challenge of floods. As I speak, we have people who are still in camps and it has been a very difficult time. At some point today, I had wished to speak on a Statement concerning water scarcity. Can you believe that people’s dwelling places have been flooded, pushed into camps, and there is no water in the camps? It is a very interesting situation where the Tana Water and Sanitation Company is not doing its duties. They are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, and people continue to suffer. As we go for recess, we also need to think about the business that we have left here. I had hoped for an opportunity to speak to the Motion, but as we agreed, we are joining so that we can reflect more. I would invite my colleagues to reflect on this issue. The 27th President of the US, His Excellency William Taft, served his presidency, and then he went back to Tennessee and was elected as the Senator for Tennessee. The people wanted him to serve. So, let us go and think about it. You and I may not want that Senator who was a governor to come and serve here. However, let us reflect. What about the people? Why are we only talking about ourselves here? Why should we limit the rights of the people? Let us go and digest this thing again. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Bassirou Faye, the President of Senegal, who was elected in place of Ousmane Sonko, the leader of the opposition, is so young and he will be serving. If he goes the way he is going, then Senegal will be shining. It is coming to the levels where Kenya is and I am speaking with the authority as the Head of Delegation to the Pan-African Parliament. I know what I am talking about. This man is a celebrated person and he is only 44 years. Let us go and think about it as we go on this pending business. Can we say a governor who finished university, got elected and served his term, should not serve in the Senate or the National Assembly if his people want? Why wait for five years? Let us go and think about it, and maybe when we come back, we will be able to persuade each other. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am the one person who will always stand for the expansion of the political space and of the freedoms that we have so much struggled for. Scenarios where we were beaten in the streets and thrown around by a restrictive regime, to cramp that space and restrict those freedoms, then, I think I will invite colleagues to go and think some more. If governors want to run, let them run. Let the people decide. If the Members of Parliament (MPs) want to run for the Presidency and so on, let us talk about an expanded space rather than a restricted space. I am just saying that as we go, we reflect on some of these issues that we have left here pending. Let us reflect on the pending business of this House. With those remarks, I wish fellow colleague Senators, a happy short recess. We should be careful on the roads at this time, so that we can all come back here safely. I beg to support."
}