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"id": 197943,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/197943/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Anyang'-Nyong'o",
"speaker_title": "The Member for Kisumu Rural",
"speaker": {
"id": 193,
"legal_name": "Peter Anyang' Nyong'o",
"slug": "peter-nyongo"
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"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me take this opportunity to contribute to the Presidential Speech and also to congratulate Members for being re-elected to the House or elected to the House, whichever case it maybe. I would also like to thank my constituents for re-electing me to this National Assembly. The previous speaker provoked me to say something briefly about population. There is an 102 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 12, 2008 old theory which argues that the problem of development is population growth. That theory has been challenged many times. Some people say that the problem of development is not really population growth but effective use of resources, equity and distribution of our natural resources. It has also been argued that as population grows, it challenges people to use their resources more effectively and be more inventive in trying to look after that population. We should, therefore, treat our people as a resource. It is a challenge to us to make sure that all those resources that God put at the disposal of humanity are used in the manner in which it is said in the great books, both the Quran and the Bible; that we should look after God's creation in a godly manner. That is a major challenge to humanity. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important, I think that we go into this year with a challenge of the National Assembly to produce the basic law of the land in terms of the Constitution which we have been after for so long. As long as I remember the struggles of democracy in this country, the matter of the basic and fundamental law of the land; the Constitution, has always been on the agenda. I do believe that almost every party that has been formed since Independence, especially those that have challenged the one-party presidential regime, have always put at the forefront of their agenda a democratic constitution that would guarantee a national developmental state, that ensures both individual and people's rights. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I believe that one of the fundamental problems with our Constitution is its little attention to people's rights, and more attention to individual rights. Both should be paid attention to. If we paid adequate attention to people's rights, we would use our ethnic diversity more creatively, and, perhaps, more democratically. Quite often it is because of our misuse and misunderstanding of our ethnic diversity, which is the richness of our culture, that we blame this ethnic diversity for our problems, which problems are the result of poor politics and economic policies. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would urge the House that as we begin to look at our Constitution, let us be proud of our cultural and ethnic diversity. Let the Constitution provide room for people's and communities' rights. Mr. Speaker, Sir, people of various urban centres and cities of this nation have responded to the idea of people's rights very creatively. When the people of Nairobi were challenged with security problems, we realised that almost in every neighbourhood, people moved to form neighbourhood associations. Wether you are talking of people living in Buru Buru, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Runda or Muthaiga, you will find that every community has formed itself into a neighbourhood association. This makes us realise that when people confront problems together, they can come together and live in communities that respect their own laws that look after their own security, provide for their cleanliness and so on. This is in response to the failure of the Government to provide these services. Therefore, when we review our Constitution and look at the basic forms of Government, let us respond to what people have already created in their response to lack of services and poor governance. These neighbourhood associations are a very good example of how people can be governed, give themselves a government and how they can be involved in the use of their own resources, and even in the creation of those resources. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I remember that when I first moved to new Runda, we did not have a tarmac road. It was a distance of about one kilometre long. We got together, contributed money and constructed that road. No sooner had we constructed that road than the Nairobi City Council (NCC) claimed it. Now they say, \"This is a public road. Anybody can pass on it. You have no right to stop others from using it\". Since we were public-oriented, we conceded to that demand by the NCC. However, the point had been made, that when people have a need for a service they can contribute to it. When they are doing that, the Government itself should respond creatively, and not wait until the people have finished doing the job to come and claim people's rights. March 12, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 103 Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am trying to underline the fact that given a democratic context, given a Constitution that respects both individual and people's rights a lot of issues that we seem to be blaming ourselves for, like saying we are genetically born tribalists, will not arise. As the great philosopher, Thomas Hobbs said: \"We are born into this world naked and innocent. It is this world that teaches us wicked ways and gives us clothes\". Mr. Speaker, Sir, I believe that each and every individual is born very innocent and very good. However, when they grow into a society, or a world, where people have not been given good conditions for reproducing their goodness, they acquire bad habits and cultures. It is, therefore, upon us to preserve this innocence of birth, and make sure we develop political and social cultures that will bring out the best in us. Mr. Speaker, Sir, that leads me to the issue of education. We are proud to say that over the years this country has been developing an education system that has been becoming more and more open to all Kenyans. Nonetheless, in that openness certain forms of inequalities are emerging. For example, in the initiative to establish free secondary education, the Ministry of Education has come up with a policy which may increasingly become discriminatory. It is said that unless a class has at least 40 students, it cannot get the disbursement of funds to enable free secondary education. Knowing fully well the conditions through which we have gone over the last two months; knowing fully well the historical injustices that exist in our society, and the inequalities that are inherent therein; knowing fully well too that the rate of drop-out in our schools is as a result of things other than those for which parents are responsible, for example distance which certain pupils have to walk, the conditions in those schools because they have not been improved notwithstanding the efforts by hon. Members of Parliament, I would like this policy by the Ministry to be revised. All schools should have access to this money. At the moment it is causing headaches to headmasters and parents. It is causing a lot of conflict in rural areas. Headmasters are being blamed by parents that they have received this money and are not putting it at the disposal of their children. The headmasters are saying that there is a policy that says they cannot receive it until all classes are full, and that parents should bring their children to school. Some schools have reached cul de sac . They do not know where they are going with this kind of rather discriminatory policy. If, indeed, we are going to have an education system that is truly responsive to the needs of our people, some of these policies that we propose should be much more realistic to our conditions as a society, and ensure that as we implement them, we guarantee that the conditions under which they are meant to be used already exist. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other issue that I would like to talk about in terms of equity and this culture of equality is the issue of people with disability. It is unfortunate that even in this Parliament we do not have any single person with disability. I think we should respond to the concerns of the disabled persons in all our policies, and make sure we do so creatively. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}