HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1520532,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1520532/?format=api",
"text_counter": 126,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Eldas, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Adan Keynan",
"speaker": {
"id": 41,
"legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
"slug": "adan-keynan"
},
"content": "by the rich Luo culture, they are still struggling. Therefore, we need to create a special place for them so that, in future, the Suba community will still be remembered. This Bill will also boost tourism and economic growth. Cultural heritage is a key driver of heritage tourism, which significantly contributes to Kenya's economy. By promoting cultural festivals such as the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival, the Lamu Swahili Cultural Festival and historical landmarks like Fort Jesus and the Great Rift Valley prehistoric sites, this Bill positions Kenya as a premier cultural tourism destination. This, in turn, is expected to create job opportunities, support local artisans and attract international investment. Once passed, this Bill will also strengthen our national identity and unity. Kenya is a diverse nation. I often say that Kenya is a collection of many nation-states. The rich historical and cultural heritage of those communities must be documented, contextualised and put in a form that can be easily accessed by current and future generations. That cultural heritage plays a fundamental role in our national identity and cohesion, which is what this country needs. When colonialists brought us together with our diverse cultural heritage, we attempted to create a Kenyan culture in the form of one language, one heritage and one identity. But we are still struggling. This is something that we must prioritise as leaders: to cultivate a Kenyan culture, identity, dress, way of thinking and doing things. This will be unique Kenyan identification. Once passed, I hope this Bill will accelerate our shared history and indigenous knowledge systems. The Bill aims to instil patriotism, encourage cultural pride and bridge ethnic divides. Ultimately, reinforcing the sense of being a Kenyan. This has been lacking. Over the years, we have had pride and this has affected our national unity. Kenyans are known for their resilience, focus and rich cultural heritage. However, we lack a law that helps us coalesce around that identity, project, promote and protect it. We do not have a way of demonstrating the uniqueness of Kenyan culture both locally and internationally, thus making Kenya a unique tourist destination. Countries like Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Japan benefit from tourism, despite the fact that they lack so many natural resources. We should not be in the same league as those nations by identifying and maximising our critical national heritage? Over the years, the lack of a national identity has led to profiling, stigmatisation and division of a Kenyan society along regional, tribal lines and negative ethnicity. This has discouraged our identity as one united and sovereign State called Kenya. After Independence, we attempted to promote English at the expense of Kiswahili, our local and indigenous language. While English is a very useful tool as the language of white-collar job seekers, we also need to promote Kiswahili. Kiswahili is a collection of many languages like Arabic, Turkish, Portuguese, Bantu and others. When we interact with our East African colleagues, particularly Tanzanians, we get lost. Which is the most refined version of Kiswahili? Is it the Kenyan, Tanzanian, East African or Central African version? Once passed, we hope and pray that this Bill will put together some of those issues and provide us with a clear identity. There are clear gaps in this Bill that must be addressed. Currently, we have the National Museums of Kenya, the Kenya National Archives and the Kenya Film Corporation. The roles of those institutions must be clearly acknowledged to avoid any perceived jurisdictional conflicts. It is easy to legislate this Bill but, tomorrow, the National Museum of Kenya, Kenya National Archives or Kenya Film Commission may claim that it encroaches on their mandates. During the Third Reading, we must address this issue with the help of proper legal minds. Once this Bill is passed, there will be need to build capacity. We have many academic professionals, but we need specialised people to help us with the implementation of this Bill. We have passed many laws but, at times, enforcement becomes a problem. In 1999, I had the 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."
}