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"id": 197386,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Musyoka",
"speaker_title": "The Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 188,
"legal_name": "Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka",
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"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be able to speak about this very important work before us. Allow me to very heartily congratulate the President, Mr. Kibaki, and Mr. Raila, the Prime Minister-designate for doing this country proud. When I ran to challenge both gentlemen in the last general election, I was very serious. I could see that our country was at a cross-road. I am March 18, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 187 now very proud of them. I am very proud to be a Kenyan. It is not like last year when we had an assertion that najivunia kuwa mkenya while, in fact, as occasion would have it, tulikuwatunavumiliana . But now, this is a very historic moment. This is the time for the country to stand tall again. Even as the country stands tall, it will be remiss on our part not to mention the wonderful contribution by our continental body, the African Union (AU). When President Kufuor first came in, obviously rising to the occasion when a neighbour's house was on fire, at the end of one day's serious deliberations, he left and said that he was going to send in some eminent personalities. Therefore, we want to congratulate His Excellency, Kofi Annan, and my good friend, with whom I had occasion to serve as a foreign Minister, who is now sitting across this room, Ambassador Adeniji, and the whole team for a wonderful job. I also thank our own people, the eight people from both sides of the House. I remember Mr. Kofi Annan telling me that he could not have had better minds to deal with this crisis. They even congratulated each other on the Floor of the House. That shows the seriousness of the business before us this afternoon. I know that His Excellency the President, in his capacity as the Member for Othaya, might even want to come in at any time and be part of these proceedings. When he does, I am sure that it will reach his ears that those of us who will have spoken were very proud of him, just like we are proud of our colleague, Mr. Raila. Mr. Speaker, Sir, legal jurisprudence notwithstanding, this is a statute, or an amendment, that this country cannot do without at this particular time. I hope that immediately we come to passing the enactment of this constitutional amendment, we shall be able to go beyond the 145 hon. Members that we want to see. I think all of us will stand in one accord. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this morning, as the Government coalition, we met before the coming into force of the grand coalition and agreed that all of us would speak with one voice. Taking into account that time is extremely of the essence, and that even those amongst our Members who might have wanted to raise issues and bring amendments at the Committee Stage were in agreement with the current spirit that we have in the country, and in solidarity with all of us, we can do a quick job of amending the Constitution today, and possibly, go on to the Accord Bill itself. If this is not possible today, then latest should be tomorrow. We hope that this country will have managed to get over both pieces of legislation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, our people are still in those camps. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is a new terminology in this country. They are not people; they are our own citizens. I know that they are looking up to us, as this august House, to quickly do the right thing and enhance the spirit of tolerance and forgiveness - and the President spoke about it - so that, hopefully, they can go back to their farms. It is now the planting season in the Rift Valley, which is the bread-basket of this country. We hope our people will see the mood in this House today, and know that the country is serious. It is standing in solidarity with them. It is urging them to go back to their homes and farms, to do the necessary thing of building the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I really would not like to take much time because I know if we can--- I want to urge colleagues that if it were ever possible, that the President assents to this Bill today, it would be the right thing to do. I beg to support."
}