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"id": 197306,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/197306/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kenneth",
"speaker_title": "The Member for Gatanga",
"speaker": {
"id": 167,
"legal_name": "Peter Kenneth",
"slug": "peter-kenneth"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think the Presidential Speech was very key and crucial. Considering that the President has served all the ten terms of this House, it was important that he left a befitting legacy as he finishes his second term as the President of the Republic of Kenya. It was also important that in his reflection of what had transpired, he had an opportunity to look back at all those years he had done service to the people of Kenya, to see what was important as a way-forward for the betterment of this country. Therefore, in his agenda, first of all, in telling us that we needed to look at the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill - which was unanimously passed yesterday - it was important for us to realise that we had fitted in this country before, and we could fit in this country again. It was important to realise that everybody in this country is an equal stakeholder just like the other. It was also important to realise that we did not need war. Everybody in this country was craving for peace. Therefore, in passing the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill, we were appreciating that we all needed to fit in this country, as we had fitted before. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in so doing, and as we move forward, it is also important that as we pass these laws and other laws that will come here, to realise that we need to observe the rule of law. That is because we saw a very serious breakdown of that rule of law. We keep on coming here and going to public rallies and saying that nobody is above the law. But I got a feeling that there are those people who are below the law and, therefore, they are not captured by the law! That is because they are below it! Therefore, it is important that, as we move forward and build on principles that will take this country forward, we are able to observe the law. I think everybody appreciated that, if the law is not observed, we are all in danger and the crowds out there could easily out-manoeuvre the leaders. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President said that this House will discuss an ethnic Bill. Probably, it is high time that we stopped looking at each other from the communities that we come from, especially when we meet in a place like this. I was a little taken aback when the Minister for Water and Irrigation was trying to justify why he is a Turkana. I would have been very happy if he had justified why he is a Kenyan. That must be the way forward. Probably, one of the best ways is to look at Section 42 of the Constitution. When we divide our constituencies, we 286 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 19, 2008 ensure first that there is no constituency that has a tribal name. Secondly, when we will do the registration of the new identification cards, you just mention that you are a Kenyan and not the tribe you come from. I am saying that because when you look at all the elements that arose, there was a lot of tribal chauvinism. We forgot the \"baby\" called Kenya. That is why Kenya was being displayed all over the world as the \"baby\" that was suffering. But I am sure that, as leaders, if we embraced the spirit of being Kenyans, behaved like patriotic Kenyans and discarded the tribal effects--- We can do it on cultural basis, when we have our cultural nights. But when it comes to the point of leadership where we are able to articulate our views, we must avoid the tribal divisions that have so much eaten the social fabric of this country. Therefore, when the Bill comes, we will be recommending that, in future, all our national identification cards should not have the tribal tags that we give to somebody who has attained the age of 18. Everybody should be identified as a Kenyan and whoever is not a Kenyan is not issued with an identity card. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to take this opportunity to thank all those teams that came to Kenya's---"
}