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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. In supporting this Motion, I would like to echo those who have spoken in support of it. Given the nine months we have had to conduct the business of this House, we have much to be proud of as Members of Parliament. Even as we celebrate the achievements that we have had over the last nine months or so when doing business before us, we must not lose sight of the fact that we have thousands of people living as refugees in their own country as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). We cannot forget that there is a food crisis in this country that is affecting millions of Kenyans. We cannot also forget the challenges that face the implementation of the Waki Report in the form of a tribunal to end the culture of impunity. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have been criticised and, probably, rightly so, for not seeing the issues that members of the public want us to see. The problem of taxation is a genuine one, but the manner in which it was introduced in this House and the way hon. Members were ambushed led to the impact you have seen. However, let word go out that we Members of Parliament want to 4192 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES December 17, 2008 pay our taxes when they are properly and lawfully due. We do not want people with self-serving motives to ambush the House with legislation that has repercussions that were not anticipated when hon. Members were seeking to get to the House. The country can be proud of the fact that we have a Government that is truly national in outlook, given the very difficult circumstances when we started the year. We have had an occasion to represent this Parliament out of Kenya as Members of this House. I just came back yesterday morning from Zimbabwe where I had gone to facilitate a workshop on the Standing Orders. Having seen what we can do in this country, and given the problems in Zimbabwe as we talk today, they thought that they could gain something from Kenya. So, even as we acknowledge that we have made mistakes - I know many mistakes have been made - let us also remember that the challenges ahead are much greater than the obstacles that we have faced over the last eight months. Mr. Deputy Speaker, with regard to the disbandment of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), we have succeeded in sending these people home. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that they were constitutional office holders. So, even as Mr. Kivuitu and his group now go home, we cannot ignore the fact that they held constitutional offices and they are, therefore, entitled to their retirement benefits. Concerning the staff of the ECK, we refused to pass the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, so that we can be assured that the staff of the ECK are not sent home on flimsy grounds. I know that the law we passed yesterday simply says that they are eligible for employment. However, let us now see Amb. Muthaura's circular being given effect in relation to the thousands of staff of the ECK so that they can celebrate Christmas knowing that their salaries will be paid even though they are no longer employees of the ECK. We have made far-reaching recommendations when amending our Standing Orders, one of which was the creation of an Implementation Committee. I am looking forward to next year when that Committee would have been formed to follow through the resolutions and answers given to this House. Hon. Members, who ask Questions and the answers are given, can now rest assured that the Government will act. The Implementation Committee that has been formed under the new Standing Orders is one of the very key reforms that have taken place and can make a real difference, particularly when it comes to following up on answers to Questions. The same goes for the Equal Opportunities Committee which we have formed under the new Standing Orders. It will ensure that all legislation and appointments take care of gender balance and geographical distribution of the resources available in this country and that at the end of the day, all Kenyan ethnic communities feel part and parcel of Kenya. I am happy that this morning, we reached a consensus in forming a Select Committee on the Review of the Constitution. In arriving at that decision, we were able to see that those political parties that are properly organised were able to achieve their intentions far quicker than political parties that are not properly organised. In this regard, one must pay tribute to the ODM Party of Kenya because they appeared to have been properly organised from yesterday. In fact, had the other political parties done the same, I am sure we would not have taken as much time. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish all Members of Parliament a Happy Christmas and look forward to a next year of action in implementing our resolutions. I beg to support."
}