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"content": "women of my party for supporting my nomination. I also come from a special interest group that is not often considered so civil, but was so kind and civil this time to support my nomination. That is the civil society. I want to thank the President and congratulate him and Mr. Raila, the Prime Minister- Designate, for putting the country above self. I also want to thank the panel of eminent persons for also steering this country towards the path of peace. I know a lot of us have said that we almost went to war. I have traversed this country, and I always question whether we almost went to war or whether we were at war. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to congratulate the international community. I have had an opportunity to travel to some countries that have experienced war. I have travelled to Rwanda and Lebanon. In Lebanon, I saw buildings standing side by side bullet-riddled ten years after the war. I know that what we went through is similar to what I saw in Lebanon, because the buildings that I have seen in different parts of this country in Rift Valley, Nyanza, Nairobi and other parts of this country, may not be bullet-riddled but were burnt. Therefore, I want to thank the international community for standing by us at a time when it was critical to do so. I know that the international community was blamed when it stood by and people massacred each other in Rwanda. The concept of globalization is such that countries have become small, and the concept of sovereignty has dwindled; it is considered subsidiary in the light of issues of democracy, saving lives and a hoard of other issues related to humanitarian intervention. That is why I want to give my heartfelt congratulations to the international community for coming to the support of this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, other than the three years that I worked at the State Law Office, in most of my other assignments, I have worked with children and women. I have worked all over this country. I have been to a small village in Tharaka. I have also been to Kwale, Merti and many islands in Lake Victoria. I would like to say that during the pre-election and post- election violence, I got many calls from children who were shot by the police. I also got calls from people to report about children who were killed by other people. It was not only a traumatising experience for those that were affected directly, but even for me. I want to say that, as Members of this House, we do not have the luxury of time. Even as we are debating this Motion, there are thousands of people who are still living in IDP camps, three- quarters of whom are children and women. Many women are giving birth in IDP camps. At a very personal level, my mother was shot at but, fortunately, she survived. My nieces survived police bullets. It was not an easy thing for me and my relatives. Mr. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not want to limit the debate about myself. I got calls from Kikuyu children who were hurt, injured and the families of those children who were 168 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 13, 2008 killed. Likewise, I got calls from Luos, Luhyas and children of all the other tribes across this country. There are a few tribes, if any, that were not affected by those chaos. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to say that we got a wake-up call. As Members of this House, we need to stay awake to this wake-up call. Therefore, when we will be debating the Bills that will come before us, we need to remember that we may have a semblance of peace. What goes on after that depends solely on what the Members of this House will do. Kenyans are looking for heroes and \"sheroes\" who can feel the heartbeat and pulse of this country. The pulse and heartbeat of this country is about sustainable peace. I want to speak about what I see as what will constitute the agenda for peace in this country. I see an agenda for peace in this country as equity and equality. Many of us have spoken about it. I want to reiterate that about a year ago, I was given an opportunity by the nation to speak, amongst other speakers, on this issue. I said that we were sitting on a time-bomb. The time-bomb has erupted. The equity and equality need to respond to issues of age, gender, religion, region and ethnicity. We need to look at the issue of strengthening our institutions of governance. We also need to look at the issue of the rule of law and the Constitution with sober minds. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are calling on this House to remember that there are women. This is a special House that has the mandate of dealing with difficult situations. It shall rise up to the challenge and deal with laws that have come into this House in the Ninth, Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, Fifth - I can not even remember how far back - that have to do with discrimination against women. My father is a Suba. My mother is a Luo and my husband is a Zulu. I know that there are people who have been trying to say that they are from different tribes. I do not have a child, but I do not know what my children will be. Right now, they are not recognized under the Constitution of this country and, perhaps, on a light note, I will bring a Motion about a 43rd tribe called the Suluzu ! It would be the Suba, Luo and Zulu. That way, perhaps, they will be recognized. Under the Constitution, if I am a mother of a child born to a foreigner, unless I give birth in Kenya, that child does not exist in the Kenyan law. Finally, I want to remind us of certain laws that we will need to enact. They include the Trafficking in Persons Bill, the Affiliation Act that was repealed way-back, the Marriage Act, the Domestic Violence and Family Protection Bill and the Matrimonial Property Bill. I do not want to forget my Christian background. Just like Nehemiah was building the walls of Jerusalem, we have two Nehemiahs with us in the persons of hon. Raila and hon. Kibaki. I would urge Members of the House to give them all the support that they need. We know that there are many sanballats and Amorites that were discouraging Nehemiah when they were building. I would encourage Members of the House not to be sanballats, but to be on the right side of Nehemiah. Kenyans are looking to us for the future and hope of this nation. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
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