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{
    "id": 1443319,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1443319/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 89,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I thank you and the Senate Majority Leader wholeheartedly for allowing us to vent on this important matter of the state of our nation today. This is occasioned by the fact that we have seen a swathe of young people in this country who share a common problem of economic emptiness coming all the way to this Parliament, this sanctified House. We have seen also the destruction that has happened in this country. One of my mentors is a serious entrepreneur and the Chairman of Mckinsey Africa is called Acha Leke is from Cameroon. Whenever we meet him as young people, he will usually asks us one question. Would it have mattered for Africa that you lived? As these demonstrations were going on, I wanted to look at the eyes of all the Senators in this House and relate to that statement. To you Mr. Speaker, Sir and to my brothers and sisters in this House, would it have mattered for Kenya that you lived? I will extend that same framing to the President and the Deputy President of this country and ask, would it have mattered that they lived? This is because when this conflict started, people had taken personal stands because these issues are personal. They are personal because when young people talk about going without food, that is personal. They are personal because when women in this country go without medicine in our hospitals. Mr. Speaker, Sir, last week when we were reflecting, the Senator for Nairobi City County, Sen. Sifuna, talked about having an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) expressway card that has Kshs377,000. I imagined what happens to villages that people like Sen. Methu or Sen. (Dr.) Murango comes from, where we have dispensaries and hospitals that have ambulances that do not have fuel. People in this country are losing lives for a simple reason as not getting an ambulance fueled. What is happening in my country today is so sad that it made me reflect my personal life and journey here. I wanted the President and Members of Parliament (MPs) to also reflect on their personal journey to where they are today because sometimes it is easy to forget. We might end up seeing this group called Generation Zs as just young people who are protesting in the streets without having homes. However, they have homes and are facing burdens that we might be far removed from. When people are talking about dialogue, we might not be talking about the real issues. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on 3rd February, 2003, my mother got sick in the village. We used to be tobacco farmers. When you did not have the capacity to grow tobacco on your 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."
}