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"id": 184948,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/184948/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wamalwa",
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"speaker": {
"id": 148,
"legal_name": "Eugene Ludovic Wamalwa",
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"content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I rise to support this very important Motion. I want to thank my friend, Mr. Mututho, for coming up with such a Motion. Many times, we tend to take things for granted. We forget that we are here a free nation because there were Kenyans who were willing to die so that we might live and live as a free nation. Those were people who laid down their lives for the country to fight the colonialists, and bring freedom to Kenya, so that Kenyans would own and live in a free country. My late brother, Michael Wamalwa, used to say that a nation that does not honour its heroes shall itself be forgotten. We are that kind of a nation, that has not been very good at honouring its heroes. It is only in the recent years that we brought a Motion here to create a Heroes Square in Kenya. Since Independence, we had totally forgotten about our heroes, who fought for our Independence. Today, Mr. Mututho has come up with something that will remind us of those true veterans, who fought the colonialists fiercely, so that this country would be free. I am very grateful to Mr. Mututho, because when we discussed this Motion, we acknowledged the fact that those who fought for the freedom of this country were not only the Mau Mau. The Mau Mau played a major role! In fact, amongst the most celebrated revolutions in the history of mankind, the Mau Mau resistance is considered a revolution. But there were also others who were not Mau Mau, but who fought for the freedom of this country. In fact, as the colonialists advanced into the hinterland, they met very fierce resistance when they encountered the Maasai. One of the most fierce of warriors that they had come across in the continent of Africa; the Maasai! Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as the colonialists advanced towards the west, they came across the fiercest or what is considered the fiercest resistance ever, the Nandi resistance led by Koitalel arap Samoei. This has gone down in history as one of the fiercest resistances in the history of mankind. The Nandi resisted the colonialists! They held them back for 11 months; they could not penetrate or advance, and they fought for the freedom of this country. They resisted the encroachment of the British colonialists. Eventually, as they reached the western part of Kenya, there were very serious wars that were fought in that part of Kenya. In an area called Lumboka in Bungoma, there was a serious battle and also in a place called Chetambe. The Chetambe and Lumboka wars were some of the very fierce battles, where the British suffered serious casualties. In fact, in very rare circumstances, the British employed one of their most terrifying weapon, the cannon, which was used to bomb and break through the barricaded Chetambe place, from where the community resisted the British. Indeed, in the western part, Elijah Masinde has not only been considered a prophet. He is considered a freedom fighter, because he mobilised people, through Dini ya Msambwa, to offer 2554 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 8, 2008 very serious resistance to the British in the western part of Kenya. As we think about heroes and veterans who fought the British, we need to get our history right. We need to look back and acknowledge the role that Kenyans, who came before us, played in ensuring that we live in a free country. In which way can we remember them? In which manner can we acknowledge the role they played? I was watching Barack Obama and John McCain this morning. I also watched their previous debate and you will see that the issue of the veterans is a very coveted issue. Every candidate or president in the United States has ensured that it is handled with care, because they acknowledge their brave sons who were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the nation. But in this country, we have a terrible history of only remembering our heroes when they die. In fact, when we talk about Bildad Kaggia and the other heroes who have died, they have only been brought to the national attention when cameras and very brave journalists have gone out to actually seek them out and find them living in poverty. That is when, after they die, we have offered to, maybe, tarmack a road and name it after them. That is when we have offered expensive coffins and funeral arrangements to support their families, but when they lived and breathed, no one remembered them. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I say so because I know one freedom fighter, who is alive today, and who is a founder member of Ford Kenya, Mzee Gitu Kahengeri. He is a true hero, who fought for this country but he is not acknowledged. He is not known! I came across him when he was trying to push the cause of war veterans. I must congratulate my brother, Mr. Mututho, for bringing this Motion; he has taken a step in the right direction. We, as leaders in this country, must go the extra mile to ensure that these war veterans are remembered. They are living in terrible conditions. We should do something to settle them; we should do something to give them a decent retirement, decent homes and, perhaps, land because many of them are landless, yet it is this very land that they fought for. As we talk about settling our war veterans, we must also address the issue of compensation. We know that it is a matter that many other countries have dealt with. We have heard that the Aborigines in Australia received an apology and compensation for what was done to them; the displacement. We have heard the Italians apologising for what they did in North Africa. But what the British did at Lumboka, Chetambe; what they did at Koitalel arap Samoei's homestead - the cold-blooded murder and eventual killing of a great son of Kenya--- I think up to now, we are still waiting for an apology or compensation for those heroes. I think that is something we might need to take up. I think there is a Motion coming to that effect. But for now, we would like to see what can be done about the heroes and the veterans who are alive today and who are living in squalid conditions or, those who have passed away and their families, who also suffered as a result of their sacrifice for this country, are living in terrible conditions! I think we must, as a nation, honour those heroes! But Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as we do so, we must also recognise that the land issue remains a time bomb in Kenya. We fought for the land during Independence. In successive years, we have held elections and there have been clashes over land. As we speak, we do not yet have a comprehensive national land policy to address the very sensitive issue of land; the very issue that we are talking about today, that the veterans fought for. We must, as a mater of urgency, speed up the process of putting in place a comprehensive national land policy to deal with the land issue in this nation. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to second."
}