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"id": 1518041,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatinga",
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"id": 13582,
"legal_name": "Wahome Wamatinga",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I also rise to join my colleagues in eulogising our departed colleague. When we came to the House as first-timers, the so- called ranking Members did not spare any moment to make us feel little and unknowledgeable. At times, they treated us with a certain degree of contempt. Sen. Cheptumo was one of the few who held our hands, walked with us, and even told us which Standing Order to invoke when you want to make a point of order. He would even go to the extent of telling you an article of the Constitution that you should quote. To me, he was the most welcoming. He made us, newcomers, feel at home. There are the likes of Sen. Cherarkey and others who have been here. When they stood, they made us feel disoriented and at times used words that we could not understand. That made us keep wondering whether we would one day stand and debate in this House. Sen. Cheptumo was one of the few who would tell us to take our time. He assured us that it would be shaky at the beginning, but with time, we would master the art of debate and convincing and eventually winning a debate. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I stand here to mourn a colleague who when this House was faced with one of the hardest decisions, we had to consult. I do recall he pushed for a meeting before that moment came, so that we, elders in the House, give direction to what at that time was threatening to tear the country apart. That will forever remain entrenched in my heart. He was a person who looked beyond tribal politics; he was a man who looked beyond regional politics; he was a person who thought about the youth, and most importantly, about the integrity and unity of our country. That is the man we are eulogising today. Sen. William Cheptumo was somebody who kept our hope burning. Even when we thought as the majority that the minority was having their way in making a lot of noise, he could say; tulieni itaisha . To me, that was humility. Yesterday when we visited the family, his children asked us to say what we knew about their father. I could tell the pain of losing their father. He died at 57. According to Africans and even biblically, he was still young. The Bible puts it at 70 years. Again, that reminds us that we are temporary in this world because our days are numbered. Therefore, when serving our people, we should do it with a lot of humility, knowing that nobody is guaranteed to finish their term of five years. As I pass my condolences to the family, colleagues and the people of Baringo, I also take this opportunity to mourn with the people of Kakamega who also lost their MP. Indeed, such moments remind us that our days are numbered in this world. Therefore, we should always, through prayers and supplication, remember that our Creator knows the day we will depart. 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."
}