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{
"id": 1623707,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623707/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
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"content": "The kind of speech and culture that our children have adopted is no different from a child who has been raised up in Leicester or somewhere in New York. Our children watch a lot of television and this has continued to make the struggle that Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o started. The language they use reflects the cultural values of those people. The cultural values of a lot of our European brothers are not reflective of the cultural values of the African people as we had envisaged them through the mind of Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. As we pay our homage, this Senate urges the rest of the country that we must continue to inculcate our children and our generations, with the cultures of our people. We must continue to take the good things about our cultures and keep talking to our children about them. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in Pokomo culture, for example, you would not answer back to your elder brother, leave alone your mother or father. In my culture, you would not call your elder a liar. He could only have forgotten the facts. You cannot finish eating on the table and leave your elder brother eating, leave alone your father, because it is inferring that he is greedy. You cannot greet your mother-in-law with your hands. You have to look far away. If she is coming this way, you go far away. You cannot meet them face to face. We, therefore, had a lot of problems when we shifted to Nairobi and our mothers-in-law would come to visit. It would be very complicated because you are not supposed to be under the same roof with your mother-in-law. Sometimes when we tell some of our colleagues that it is wrong, for example, to call leaders, the President and Ministers liars, that, it is against what we have been brought up to say, some people do not understand us. However, I know the spirit of Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o would understand when you say I cannot, for example, in my culture, mention the name of my elder brother. I cannot call him by his name. I have to add a title. So, in my language, if I want to call my elder brother Professor Eric Mungatana, I have to say “Tata” Eric. You cannot mention his name without adding a title. These things that held our families and communities together, and made us be respected amongst our people, are gone nowadays. People who are the age of your fathers, who are all your fathers, they could discipline you. You were subject to that control. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I strongly believe that this Senate will continue to make that call, that our people will continue to honour our cultures like they did, like Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o would have wanted. For us to honour him, let us sit down 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."
}