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{
"id": 1501929,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1501929/?format=api",
"text_counter": 131,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13599,
"legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
"slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
},
"content": "That is where I want to begin. The President could as well have been describing me. We are who we are. We believe in this democracy, we will fight for it and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The question in my mind is whether the President believes in the words that he spoke. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, another thing that he said that sounded like music to ears of the people who believe in democracy and participation of the people is that he had learned through the hard as well as customary ways that listening is a full-time occupation of leadership, and that all questions asked by the people must be answered thoroughly and in full. The question we ask ourselves is whether he actually believes the words that came out of his mouth; that he is a listening President and that all questions asked by the people have been answered by his administration thoroughly and in full. I want to make the quickest example here. Over the past year, following the protests that we have seen in this country, there are families still asking questions of this Government. They are asking questions about what happened to their loved ones and people who have been missing for a long time, and even in this Address, the President never provided any answers. Hon. Speaker, on paragraph six, he says he desired to respond to the most pressing concerns that have been raised by Kenyans of all walks of life. He went ahead and framed what in his opinion, were the most pressing concerns that have been raised by Kenyans. Again, the question becomes, after framing those things and elaborating them very clearly, did he even, in his own Address, respond to the things that he had said were the most pressing concerns of Kenyans from all walks of life? In paragraph seven of his Address, His Excellency the President asked whether leaders understand the pain and struggles of the people. I do not know whether he answered that question. However, the feedback I received from the people of Nairobi that I represent is that we, as a political leadership, do not understand what Kenyans are going through. It shows in the sort of proposals that we put forward in order to solve some of the issues that have been raised by the people. The second question he framed was whether policies in the education sector are working. I also do not know whether he answered it. However, from the feedback of the people that I represent is that education is in a crisis and that no plausible solutions are being proffered by his Government. At paragraph eight, he asked whether developments in relation to democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms, rule of law, transparency and accountability is positive or negative. Again, I do not know whether he answered it because in the Address, I did not find an answer that is a true reflection of the situation on the ground. Some of the issues that Sen. Eddy has spoken to point to a direction direct opposite from the direction we should be going when it comes to issues of democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, transparency and accountability. He also asked the question whether policy and his administration is in furtherance of service delivery or just in aid of political strategy. Many people that I speak to believe that everything this administration does has nothing to do with the lives of Kenyans. They are only looking for the political outcomes, especially putting the President in a position that he can vie for re-election in 2027. 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."
}