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"id": 196987,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/196987/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. K. Kilonzo",
"speaker_title": "The Member for Mutito",
"speaker": {
"id": 172,
"legal_name": "Julius Kiema Kilonzo",
"slug": "kiema-kilonzo"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Presidential Address. First, I would like to thank the Almighty God who, indeed, has made it possible for me to be part of this Tenth Parliament. On the same token, allow me to thank the people of Mutito Constituency who saw it fit for me to have a second term to serve them. They showed confidence in the service I was giving them and allowed me to continue for another five more years and make a difference in the constituency in lieu of service to this nation. The Presidential Address will go to the annals of history as one which was encompassing what Kenyans needed when their lives were at crossroads. As we look at the events which took place there before the elections, and the post election events, we must, as leaders do, away with the culture of impunity. The \"do-not-care\" attitude must be put behind and the culture of accountability and care put to the fore. Right now, many Kenyans are divided in groups. One group is that of the \"haves\" while the other one is that of the \"have-nots\". If you compare the two groups, you will see that the \"haves\" group consists of only 10 per cent of our population while 90 per cent consists of the masses who are the poor Kenyans. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, while this is going on, another corruption in the making which will make Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg scandals of yesteryears look like babies is the Kshs10 billion Safaricom Initial Public Offer (IPO). We, who were in the Opposition during the Ninth Parliament, put our feet down and said that we would not allow the sale of Safaricom to go on March 25, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 383 before all issues were made clear. However, today, I am surprised that even icons of transparency and democracy have, all of a sudden, decided to bury their heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, and are allowing the Safaricom IPO to go on. Kenyans are crying. The Civil Service is crying. Majority of Kenyans out there are saying they want to know who Mobitelea is. This animal called Mobitelea will rip Kshs10 billion from Kenyans at the end of the week. Who is Mobitelea? Who are the people behind Mobitelea? Why are leaders, both in the political class and the Civil Service class having a conspiracy of silence while Kenyans are being ripped off a cool Kshs10 billion? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to join the voiceless who are out there and crying that the Safaricom IPO be stopped until Kenyans know about the issues surrounding the company. It seems as if the issue is being rushed because a clique of people want to make profits. This is a conspiracy which has been going on; of selling certain parastatals. We are not going to allow this. I call upon hon. Members of this august House to stand with Kenyans out there and say \"no\" to this grand corruption. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Kenyans are experiencing optimism resulting from the power- sharing agreement signed between His Excellency the President, Mr. Mwai Kibaki, and hon. Raila Odinga, and also because of our passing the two enabling Bills into law. However, we should not think that it is now over and remove our eyes from the crystal ball and forget why Kenyans fought. The General Election was just a trigger. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what happened to the economic imbalance where some regions benefitted more from the national cake while the others got less? Why is it that when you are identified to belong to a certain community, you are disadvantaged, while when you are identified with a certain community, you are advantaged? That is why I applaud the statement by the Prime Minister-designate, hon. Raila Odinga, when he said that we should just look beyond power sharing. The time is now! Let this go beyond the sharing of power by the political class! Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let us look at what is happening in the Judiciary. Let us look at the forces! It is no longer an anathema to discuss the forces. Are there communities which are being favoured more than the others? Let us make sure that all the recommendations by the Annan team are not just left at the stage of power-sharing. We want all the task forces and commissions to be constituted so that never again shall Kenyans get to the edge of a civil war! Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I come from a community which is very disadvantaged and marginalized. When the President was going round campaigning, he went about creating political districts for political expediency. He came to my constituency and the people of Mutito Constituency asked for a district and, because by then I was perceived by the powers that be as politically-incorrect, we were denied a district! Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when these issues are being addressed, I would like to propose that all the 210 constituencies be made districts!"
}