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{
    "id": 1442936,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1442936/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 132,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "has come from hon. Otiende Amollo makes a bit more sense for us, that there be a Bill that is introduced to repeal the Finance Bill as was passed. This is because in the language of Article 115, we do not think it can be done in the way that it is being proposed. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, another thing we can do is that there should be a public pronouncement from the Head of State that we are going to stop arrests and abductions that have been ongoing; free everyone who has been arrested because of these protests as the Senate Majority Leader said and honour our dead and the people who are still in hospitals. There is the question of opulence, corruption and the corrupting influence of money in politics. Hon. Senate Majority Leader, when you spoke about that, I was very happy because we should have a conversation. I was at a conference at one place and somebody was saying how it has become expensive to join politics. I said it is used as a scare tactic to scare away people from political participation. If a young man hears that you need Kshs70 million or Kshs100 million to become the Senator for Nairobi County, do you think that person will ever participate in elections? Where are we supposed to get this money? We want the young people to understand that they have demonstrated to this country that, in fact, you do not need the sort of resources that we are told you need for you to become a political player. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there is this question of a ban on harambees. As a lawyer, I am aware there is already legislation that tries to limit participation of political players in harambees. However, it is limited to the last few months to the election, about six or nine months. It has become a culture that campaigns begin immediately after elections, anyway. After you are sworn in, your opponent is already on the ground saying Sifuna must go. Why do we not just extend the period and say throughout the term of Parliament, MPs should not be allowed to participate in these harambees and demonstrate the sort of opulence that we have seen? The Senate Majority Leader and hon. Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale have spoken about a rigged economy. That is something that has touched my heart. Those of us who were born where we were born, many of our young people, including myself, have always wondered how is it possible that people, who we know had lesser grades and far inferior grades in school, whom we were better than them at everything, are making progress at a faster rate just because of their second name and we are just there languishing. People who have six degrees have never gotten an opportunity. They go for interview after interview. The moment somebody sees your name is Watenya or Sifuna, your Curriculum Vitae (CV) is put aside. It is very embarrassing that sometimes an entire institution has members of only one community serving in that office from top to bottom. These are the things that are going to make our people extremely mad every time these matters are brought about. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if we do not address these matters, we are not going to deal with the problem. When it comes to employment in public service, we have seen young people who qualify as teachers waiting all their life to be employed as teachers, then you see leaders in public rallies and funerals, handing and dishing out employment letters from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}