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"id": 194308,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Murungi",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Energy",
"speaker": {
"id": 93,
"legal_name": "Kiraitu Murungi",
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"content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support this Motion. When Mr. Shikuku used to be in this House, he used to define a Member of Parliament as a \"Miserable Person\" (MP). He was saying that we were Miserable Persons because wherever an hon. Member goes, he is harassed. If you go to your constituency today, there will be several people who will say that from the time you were elected, they have never seen you; you have disappeared! That is a perennial complaint from the wananchi in this country; that hon. Members have disappeared from their own constituencies. Even if you are there every weekend, there will always be that other person, who you did not see, who will be saying: \" Mheshimiwa amepotea !\" So, we can never have enough time in our constituencies. We are aware that one of our primary responsibilities, as hon. Members, is law-making or legislation. However, even legislation is a major challenge. We have been in this Parliament - this is my fourth term now - and I can tell you that many laws have been passed here which we have not been able to read. We have passed laws which we have not studied because there was no time for us to study them. If you go to your pigeon hole, there are many reports, accounts from various parastatals and companies which an hon. Member is supposed to read. I can tell you, and you know it, that we do not read them. Why? Because of pressure of time. In the evening, we will be at All Saints Cathedral, St. Andrews and other places attending burial arrangements because it is the role of an hon. Member to empathise and be with his people when such events occur. So, it is part of our social duty to support our community. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the job of an hon. Member is, in fact, four or five jobs in one. We are supposed to be here as scholars studying law and reports and making policies for this country. We are also supposed to promote democracy through the political parties. So, in addition to being active in Parliament, we are also supposed to be active in party politics. The Grand Coalition, the mooted Grand Opposition Alliance and the political party business, takes as much time as Parliament. Then there is the constituency. Every hon. Member dreams about his constituency. Even if you see him here in Parliament, or taking tea, he is thinking about water projects, roads, electricity projects and other issues which have not been done. The constituency becomes part of your life. Even when you are asleep, you are dreaming about the constituency. Then we should not forget that an hon. Member is also a human being: You are a man or a woman. You were a man or woman before you came to Parliament and you will remain so even after you leave Parliament. I know Ministers who were very powerful in this country. May 14, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1071 Today, they are farmers. They are selling milk, coffee and planting bananas. They were hon. Members! Indeed, there is life after Parliament and we should start recognising that life now. Let us not cheat wananchi ! You also need some time to sit and do homework with your children in the evening. You need some time to look after your shamba, plant maize and take part in clan activities because you are also a leader of the clan."
}