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"id": 197004,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/197004/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Obure",
"speaker_title": "The Member for Bobasi",
"speaker": {
"id": 118,
"legal_name": "Christopher Mogere Obure",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to join my colleagues in supporting this Motion. First, I want to thank the people of Bobasi Constituency for electing me as their hon. Member, and for giving me the opportunity to serve them yet again. I also want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my colleagues, hon. Members in this House, for rising to the occasion last week, and enacting the two crucial pieces of legislation. I believe that the two pieces of legislation will go a long way in resolving the crisis we have just gone through and paving the way for a new order of managing the affairs of this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank His Excellency the President for articulating public policy so effectively and so comprehensively. In my view, the President identified the main challenges facing this country and proceeded to set out the agenda for action on a priority basis. This is action required to heal the wounds inflicted during the chaos and mayhem that followed last year's elections; action to reduce ethnic animosity which has accumulated over the years; action to provide relief to families that lost their loved ones, persons who lost their property, persons who were displaced and now live the life of paupers and so many others who were affected in so many ways. Ultimately, the President identified action to put the economy back on a path of growth and prosperity. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, action on all these fronts is desirable. It is, indeed, urgent. However, what we desire to achieve in all these fronts cannot be achieved without peace. Peace is fundamental and a prerequisite. It cannot be achieved without trust and honesty on the part of all leaders. It cannot be achieved if leaders continue to be selfish. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we, therefore, must develop the goodwill and capacity amongst ourselves as leaders to accommodate each other. We must develop the capacity to be patient with each other, embrace and understand each other's perspective and position. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to quote from the last two paragraphs on page 12 of the President's Speech because I feel they are very important and very pertinent:- \"The events of the last two months have offered us an opportunity to look inwards and fully comprehend both the weaknesses and threats on one hand and strengths and opportunities we have as a nation. Indeed, Kenyans will always prefer peace over conflict; prosperity over desolation; unity over discord and justice over injustice. This is why on February 28th, 2008, I and hon. Raila Odinga accepted and 390 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 25, 2008 signed the National Accord because our people had spoken clearly that they wanted one Kenya in which all lived in peace, justice and harmony.\" I congratulate our two great leaders; hon. Mwai Kibaki and hon. Raila Odinga for recognising and submitting to the wishes of the Kenyan people and for appreciating the fact that Kenya and Kenyans' interests are far greater than the interest of an individual or a clique of individuals however powerful they may be. What remains for us is to emulate the example set by these two leaders. I appeal to my colleagues in this House to reconstruct our thinking. Let us change our attitudes. Let us embrace each other because it is the only way we can move this country forward. Kenyans look to us to provide an environment in which they can live in harmony and peace. The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2008 and the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill have now been enacted. What we now need is for us leaders, at all levels; from the top to the grassroots level, to develop the goodwill necessary. We need to be committed in promoting unity and to be patriotic. This is important. In my view, these are essential ingredients. We must possess those virtues in order to move this country forward. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, before my time is up I would like to mention one thing. These menaces of poverty and youth unemployment, in my view, are time bombs. They pose a serious threat to the stability of this country. Once all these things are over, I propose that as a nation, we settle down and start addressing these key issues because the long-term stability of our country depends on how stable our youth are and our ability to reduce the poverty levels in this country. A few years ago, the Government then - which I served at that time as Minister for Agriculture - came up with a policy to carry out reforms in certain key areas with a view to reducing poverty especially in the rural areas. We embarked on serious reforms in the agricultural sector to try and improve our activities in agriculture, especially in the major sub-sectors of tea, coffee and sugar. We believed, at the time, that they formed the core activities in the rural areas. We went round and held conferences with stakeholders in this sub-sectors. In the case of coffee, we decided to review the colonial Act of 1933 which imposed various limitations on the natives getting involved in the production of coffee. A lot of reforms were carried out. Farmers and researchers spoke. All the stakeholders spoke. The idea was to improve efficiency in the agricultural sector with a view to improving farmers' earnings and therefore, elevating them up from the poverty which has bedeviled them. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we brought Bills to this House. Members of Parliament who were here then and are here now will remember what happened. A few Members of Parliament from areas known for coffee production and a few others from areas known for sugar-cane production came together and decided to nullify all the various reforms that had been carried out. They did that at the Committee Stage. What we wanted was to bring competition and provide efficiency in those sub-sectors. However all that was nullified, courtesy of the actions of a few Members of Parliament. The impact of that has been devastating in the coffee sub-sector. No wonder His Excellency the President wants us to again review the Coffee and Sugar Acts. This is needless in my view. It is only a few Members of Parliament who decided to nullify the various reforms that were being carried out. At the end of it, farmers suffered. In my view, it was needless and selfish on the part of those Members of Parliament. They should be ashamed! If we had done the right thing at that time, maybe, the poverty which continues to be a menace to our people could have been reduced by now. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}