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"id": 225167,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Maj. Sugow",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Water and Irrigation",
"speaker": {
"id": 142,
"legal_name": "Aden Ahmed Sugow",
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, therefore, let us not try to oppose what we know is the reality on the ground in this country. Let us aspire to improve and remove the negative aspects of our political development so that this country can embrace good governance politically. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I come from a minority community in this country and I yearn to see that day when a person from the El Molo tribe will be the President of this country. I would like to see the day when a person from a minority community will lead this country, not because of anything else, but because of the quality of leadership that the person is ready to provide for this country. Under the current arrangement, I do not see an El Molo, a Somali, a Ndorobo or 812 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 19, 2007 any other person from a minority community becoming the President of this country. We must, therefore, put in place legislation that will bring Kenyans together. If there is a way we can tailor this Bill to reduce political parties in this country to a maximum of, say, three, then, we have a good chance. Quality in leadership will play an important part in developing this country other than regarding the tribe which one comes from. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the political parties and coalitions that exist today are based on tribes. They are coalitions that have conveniently been put together for the purpose of ascending to power. In Somalia, when the former President Siad Barre was ruling that country with an iron fist, various ethnic groupings were formed along clans that were each struggling to overthrow him. Each group had its own ambitions to lead that country, but when each one of them was unable to remove Mr. Siad Barre independently, they decided to concoct a coalition whose main aim was nothing else, but to remove Mr. Siad Barre. It was a coalition that did not have any common idea of how to run Somalia other than the need to remove Mr. Siad Barre. After they achieved that, today, over a decade down the line, Somalia is unable to get a stable government. In our quest to remove former President Moi from power, since 1992, when this country re- embraced multiparty democracy, our Opposition parties were unable to remove the KANU Government individually. They, therefore, united and came up with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with no basis in the Constitution and with the sole aim of dislodging former President Moi from power. When they achieved that, they realised that they had no common ideology that would make them forge ahead together. Then things went asunder. That is the path we should avoid to walk. If this country is to have a stable political system, we must avoid coalitions based on conveniences and selfish interests of political leaders who just want to take power. We must have controls, which some of us are already refusing now here on the Floor of the House. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Clause 6(i)(a) is in the interest of many communities in this country. We cannot accept to amend it. We want to avoid a situation where few tribes can come together and register a political party and then influence politics in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a provision for provisional registration of political parties within a month of application. This gives the Registrar a time frame within which to register or refuse to do so. However, before the political parties are registered, they cannot hold rallies for the purposes of campaigning for elections. This Bill does not give the time limit within which a political party can be fully registered. That is an issue we need to look into because political parties are registered for purposes of participating in elections. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to support the Minister on the issue of funding political parties. However, political parties must fulfil certain qualifications before they are funded. This is the only way we can discourage every Tom, Dick and Harry from registering political parties for purposes of fleecing the Exchequer. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when the Leader of the Official Opposition was contributing to this Motion, he lamented about the Government poaching Members from other political parties. This is one of the problems bedeviling this country. He talked very passionately about the need for support for northern Kenya. We all know that the KANU regime had a stronghold in northern Kenya despite the fact that it was, probably, the last frontier as far as the liberation of this country was concerned. Nobody would have seen the inside of this House without being elected on a KANU ticket. However, this does not necessarily mean that KANU was popular in northern Kenya. It was not. Therefore, it was natural for us to remain in KANU because it was the only boat we could use to cross the river. However, once we were on the other side of the river, nobody could have forced us to remain in that boat. We had the opportunity to construct our own boat and make our own choice. Therefore, it is important those provisions be in our Constitution. April 19, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 813 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is ironical for those now crying over poaching of Members from other political parties by the Government. I believe that was part of the emancipation of some areas in the country. KANU led this country for over 40 years, but there is nothing to show in terms of development on the ground."
}