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{
    "id": 174857,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/174857/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 240,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Parliament is the supreme authority of the land. Parliament is elected by the people to represent them in the House. Therefore, the decisions of Parliament need to be respected. Mr. Speaker, Sir, having said that, the Fourth Estate is equally important in a democratic society. The media is a very important institution in a democratic society. We have come a long way in fighting for the freedom of expression, worship and assembly. There were times when it was impossible in this country, if you were a Member of the Opposition, to address a press conference in any of the major hotels in this city. I know it for a fact. We have come from very dark days of serious dictatorship when the media was not even allowed to talk about the torture that was taking place in Nyayo House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, because of the very strong struggle of the people of Kenya and their sacrifice, they managed to open up the democratic space so that we have a free media. It did not just come like manna from heaven to earth. Therefore, any attempt to gag the media in this country needs to be resisted by the people of this country. This is because if we go back to where we came from, it will be a very sad day for this country. I want to say that during the last general elections, as the counting was going on at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), there was live broadcast as the results were coming in from the polling stations and constituencies. All of a sudden, that was stopped. It was not just stopped. The owners of the media houses have confirmed to me that they were summoned to a meeting and told: \"KTN, KBC, NTV, Citizen, must immediately stop live broadcast\". They asked under which law that was possible and some section of the Kenya Communications Act was quoted. They attempted to resist but letters followed which were delivered to their newsrooms that, December 16, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4117 that must be stopped immediately. Mr. Speaker, Sir, some of the clauses that we used were in this Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill. I want it to also be known that this Bill did not come through a Coalition Cabinet. The Bill that has come to this House was never brought through a Coalition Cabinet. It was the time the Coalition Government was formed---"
}