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{
"id": 1451714,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1451714/?format=api",
"text_counter": 326,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Eldas, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Adan Keynan",
"speaker": {
"id": 41,
"legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
"slug": "adan-keynan"
},
"content": "nation. This country was once called the British East Africa Company in the early 1880s. That was a personal company, a private company. Later, we became a British Protectorate and then a British colony. At a certain stage, we were allowed to do our internal self-rule up to 1962. In 1963, we got our Independence. In 1969, with agitation, we became a one-party State. In 1991, we went back and became a multi-party State. In 1992, we held our first general election under the multi-party Constitution. Since then, there was agitation for a new constitutional dispensation until 2010, when we promulgated the current Constitution. Since then, there have been eventful activities in our country. During the just concluded General Elections, we had the hustler effect. Just last month, we had the Gen Z uprising. Under all these occurrences, one thing emerges: Kenyans are resilient, ever optimistic and very proud people when it comes to their country. I send my condolences and empathy to those young Kenyans under the tag of genuine Gen Zs who decided to put up a bit of awakening call on the political leadership of this country. Wherever you are, my sons and daughters, we have heard you. Your message is loud and clear. You have made your clear points that have been implemented by His Excellency the President and we want you to be patient. Do not delve into anything else. Whatever positive suggestions you have made to improve our governance, I want to assure you, as the “father” of Parliament and the longest-serving Member of Parliament, that we have heard you. I have personally heard you. We will take all those issues into account and I can assure you that business will not be as usual. As we do that, destruction, violence and all other related issues that can negate the gains that we have made since Independence will not add any value. I beseech you, wherever you are, as the gallant sons and daughters of the Republic of Kenya who have gone to school, do not destroy Kenya. We beseech you, wherever you are, to be patient with the political class. Your points have been heard and it is clear. My daughters, sons and, to some extent, my grandchildren, will soon be there. We have heard you. The message is clear. I also ask the political class that we must pause and ask: What has led to this Gen Zs uprising? We must deal with corruption. We must deal with inefficiencies in Government departments. We must stand for the rights of Kenyans as far as their governance activities are concerned. Those of us in politics and are entrusted with the leadership of this country, we must do a bit of summative informative evaluation and take into account the positive suggestions that have been made by our sons and daughters. I want to ask you once again, please, allow the President and his Government to internalise and implement the positive suggestions that you have made. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am aware that there is a lot of under-employment and unemployment right now. So many graduates with first class honours do not have jobs. We can only sort this out, if we put our heads together and collectively, work for the premier nation called Kenya, which is our motherland. I had an opportunity of being the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations. During that period, I visited many countries. I can assure you that we ought to be proud of our country. Civil war only creates a humanitarian crisis, environmental devastation, hunger and total lawlessness. Our country is governed under the rule of law or constitutionalism which is something that you cannot exchange for anything else. We should look around and see the unfortunate things that have happened to some of our neighbours and where they are today. I also appreciate that we are not where we are supposed to be. We are lagging behind. Kenya was a donor country in the 1960s. Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was at par with South Korea and Indonesia. Today, the GDP of South Korea is 50 times that of Kenya. We used to be a donor nation to the newly independent African countries. However, 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."
}