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{
    "id": 1519023,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1519023/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 232,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "and regional problems used to be resolved but it is no longer the case. We appear to be meddling with internal affairs of other countries and especially our neighbours and that is hurting our image. After that vote was taken, I have seen many submissions where people are saying that there are Kenyans who are not patriotic. I want to remind Kenyans that we are a very divisive society. We have to accept that. In fact, as a political leader in this country, we have held the position that you must allow people to criticise or insult you. Madam Temporary Speaker, you are a lawyer like myself. Our own High Court ruled that the freedom of expression right extends to insults. The senior counsel is here and he can tell us. There is no constitutional imperative that when somebody speaks to you, then they are nice to you. There is nothing like that. The limits to which freedom of speech can reach are the only ones set out in the Constitution and they do not extend them. There is this debate about patriotism. I have asked myself what is this thing called patriotism. We live in this city. In Nairobi, we have one simple rule. If you love me, I will love you, but if you do not show me love, there is no way you can expect commensurate affection from me. It is that simple. You love people who love you back. When you speak to many young people, they feel that this country does not love them. From the day you were born, look at the situation in our maternity hospitals such as Mama Lucy Kibaki. Because of our failures to provide proper healthcare, the country is actively trying to kill you from the day you were born. That is the situation we are born into if you compare to other countries. Madam Temporary Speaker, you have travelled to other countries and seen. From the day you were born, the way the country takes care of you, the sort of maternal healthcare and nutrition you are given, you can see a country trying to do its best to make you survive, not a country actively coming after your life. We go to places and find that education is free from primary school to university. The country is actively trying to mould you into a proper citizen for its benefit. It is very easy to love a country like that. What is the situation in Kenya? We have not done enough to make people feel that they belong to this country and that this country works for them. Therefore, you cannot fault people when they express anger against their own country. In fact, patriotism is defined not as loving your government but your country. When things are wrong, we have a right to say that. Politics of Kenya are very divisive. People here pontificate. If the results had been different, can we honestly all guarantee that there would have been restraint on all of us and that we would not have over-celebrated to the annoyance of those who do not believe in our quest? Nobody can give you that guarantee. People are allowed to celebrate, cry or do whatever they want. They express themselves as much as they want. I know Raila Odinga is the most insulted political leader in Kenya. Every single day you wake up, you find him trending on X or Facebook or he is a headline in at least three newspapers per week. He does not appear to be fazed by any of those things because he understands that you have to have a thick skin as a political leader in this space. If you put yourself out in the public, you can expect people to insult you. 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."
}