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{
    "id": 197930,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/197930/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 29,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Midiwo",
    "speaker_title": "The Member for Gem",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 184,
        "legal_name": "Washington Jakoyo Midiwo",
        "slug": "jakoyo-midiwo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for letting me address myself to the President's Speech. This is a time like no other. I want to begin by taking a cue from Maj. Sugow who has just spoken about the real issue. This House has a daunting task to address what this country has failed to address in the history of Kenya. Something very worrying which you have just raised this afternoon is that some of us are beginning to go against the spirit of the Accord. Leaders from both sides of political divide are talking carelessly. They are not trying to let us move forward as a country. There are a lot of undertones implying that anybody willing to negotiate is a coward and is not trying to give and take. Let me inform my hon. colleague who has just spoken that although he said that in North Eastern Province the ratio of doctors to patients is one to 120,000, the situation could be worse in my place. That is why people are so angry. Our people are venting out their anger through the wrong channel. There is no law to protect the innocent. Prior to this election, a lot of people were living in every part of this country. This Parliament has never taken a single initiative to ensure that our people wherever they live are protected by the law. It seems that every law we pass protects the interests of the rich and a few minority. It is time that this House ensured that a Luo can leave Siaya and go to own a shop in Nyeri, without fear. We want to see a situation where a Kikuyu can own a butchery in Siaya and live without fear. We need to confront these issues once and for all. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the President, in telling this House to prioritise these Bills, took the first gigantic step in ensuring that this House is properly guided. Therefore, nobody should scare us into rejecting what is expected of us. I would like to tell my hon. colleagues that the world is watching. We are also watching from either side. We are expected, at least, for once, to come through for the citizens of this country. We live well, we are paid well and Kenyans also need to go in that direction. They should at least be given hope that this country is for all and not for the few rich who have opportunity to loot. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a general feeling across the country that people are tired of war. People do not want war. People do not want leaders who are careless with their mouths. People do not want leaders who preach water and drink wine. If we will support the Bill, let us rise to the occasion. We should guide this country in a way that will let our people be peaceful. Above all, we want our people to feel some protection within the law. Why do we, as leaders, fear to confront the land issue in this country? Why is it that if you go to Nyanza Province, where I live, you will find that somebody has 20 acres of land, but he has never utilised them in the last 20 years? If you go to Kisii just across the border - and we live in the same Province - or even in Central March 12, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 97 Province, our people do not even have a place to bury their dead in dignity. Yet, there are people, including some leaders here, who own land the size of some provinces. We must confront these issues! We need a good land policy to protect our people once and for all."
}