HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 180646,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/180646/?format=api",
"text_counter": 291,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Defence",
"speaker": {
"id": 192,
"legal_name": "Joseph Kasaine Ole Nkaissery",
"slug": "joseph-nkaissery"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this chance to contribute to this very important Motion. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to commend hon. Ethuro for bringing this very important Motion, which is long overdue. Secondly, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the American people for making their decision this morning and elected Barrack Obama as the President of the United States of America. Thirdly, I would like to congratulate hon. Obama for being elected as the President of the United States of America. In 2006, I had an opportunity to share lunch with the President-elect of the United States of America at the Tamarind Retaurant. I, therefore, cherish the memory of that time. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have the opportunity and freedom to change. This is the time we need to change the Constitution so that the power is restored to the people of Kenya. Power should be restored to the people of Kenya because Parliament is the centre of the people of Kenya. There are three roles of this Parliament. The roles of oversight, representation and legislation are all combined. That gives this House the power on behalf of the people of Kenya. Therefore, Section 58 of the Constitution which allows one individual to summon the peoples' 3290 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 5, 2008 representatives without their wish and will, should be done away with. At the same time, Section 59 of the same Constitution dismisses the peoples' representatives that are brought here by the people themselves at the will of one individual. We have to change. That is the freedom to change and that freedom is here. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the issue of impunity has actually ruined this nation. There is the impunity of the Executive, impunity of corruption and impunity of violence. We have to end that impunity for our country to be liberated. I want to say that we had passed a Motion that empowered Parliament to scrutinise the Budget. That is already a power that has been restored to the peoples' representatives. Just imagine what happened at the beginning of this year. This Parliament was summoned when the country was in crisis. That is why I commend my friend hon. Ethuro for bringing this Motion, so that it is the peoples' representatives who have the power to summon themselves, and not one particular individual. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of impunity, you realise that the Waki Report came out very clearly. Of course, there were some flaws in the report. But for us to forgive each other, heal this country, know that forever, we shall not bring this country back to its knees like what happened in January, we have got to carry our own crosses. People must be given the opportunity to defend themselves. We cannot condemn people unheard. That is why we are saying that the envelope with Dr. Koffi Annan should be opened. The people of Kenya should be told who are in there. People who are in that envelope should defend themselves. If there is forgiviness to be given, it should come from Kenyans. So, the freedom to change is here. The freedom to change is with the Tenth Parliament, to restore the rights, freedom and power to govern, legislate and play our oversight role. The Tenth Parliament has that opportunity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to urge that when this Motion is passed, it should be given priority so that we can amend the Constitution to remove the two Sections and restore the power to the peoples'representatives. I believe that the democracy that we have fought for, from the time when Section 2(A) of the Constitution was repealed to bring in multi-party democracy in this country, is a continous process to ensure that Parliamentary democracy takes root in this country. That is the ony way we can remove the impunity of corruption. I want to specifically comment on two issues. What happened in this country in December was not caused by politicians. It was caused by people who rigged the elections. If Parliament was in a position to control its own calender, the rigging of the elections would not have taken place. Rigging of election was done by the agents of the Government. Those agents of the Government should actually be the first people who should have been in the Waki Envelope and not the politicians. When that thing happned, agents of the Government authorised serving civil servants to act as agents of political parties. That is the impunity we have to kill for this country to heal."
}