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{
    "id": 197159,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/197159/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 47,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Ojaamong",
    "speaker_title": "The Member for Amagoro",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 196,
        "legal_name": "Sospeter Odeke Ojaamongson",
        "slug": "sospeter-ojaamongson"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, at times it becomes very difficult to withdraw a fact; something so practical that happened on the ground. I will have to bring documents here later on to show that these people actually recruited agents, distributed money and campaigned for that party. But for the purpose and the honour of this House, in the meantime, I withdraw. I wish to say that in the changes to the Chiefs Act that will come, we should include severe penalties for those civil servants who break the law by engaging in politics. There is also the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs). We have IDPs from my place whom we gave safe passage to Uganda. There is a mistaken belief that these people might have been displaced from Amagoro or Teso. The IDPs who are in Uganda came from Eldoret and other parts of the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to inform the people from Central Kenya or elsewhere that the Tesos have always accommodated the people of Central Kenya in good faith. They have done businesses there and we have never had any problem with them. In fact, we lived with them in our villages. So, the IDPs who are in Mulanda, Uganda, should come back to their respective places. They should not fear coming back because we have no problems with them. In fact, they did not come from Teso. Let them just go back to where they came from; either Eldoret or elsewhere. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I hope this Parliament will have an opportunity to discuss a number of issues we raised in the Ninth Parliament. One is the issue of boundaries. We have had over five Members of Parliament who represented Teso and sang the issue of boundaries year in, year out. I think I am coming here for the fifth year. This issue of boundary is very critical. If it is not for the fact that almost all the people in Western Kenya are ODM supporters, we could have fought each March 20, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 319 other because of the issue of boundaries. But we had to wait for these peace talks to end. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have long standing boundaries issues between Teso and Busia, Teso- Bungoma, Mt. Elgon-Bungoma and so many others which must be addressed. These are some of the historical injustices that Dr. Kofi Annan was referring to. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we also want the districts that were created by the President prior to the last general election--- I managed to get one and the Member for Kuria also got one. I think we were happy. The Government should operationalise those districts. They should post District Commissioners and other heads of departments to those districts to bring services closer to the people. We should not look at it as a political gimmick. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is also the issue of constituencies. The Teso community has had only one Member of Parliament representing them in Parliament since Independence. If you come to my constituency, you will see for yourself the problems we are experiencing. I am the only Member of Parliament for one constituency which has two districts. It is also a very large constituency with a very difficult terrain. I appeal to this Parliament to amend the Constitution. If we cannot overhaul the Constitution, we should amend it in piecemeal so that we can increase the number of constituencies. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}