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"id": 22593,
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"speaker_name": "Dr. Khalwale",
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"content": "Thank you Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I will start by congratulating Members of our Committee who, obviously, continue to impress us, as colleagues in this House, for the good work they continue to do. I also would like to congratulate the nominees for landing an opportunity to serve our country proudly. However, more importantly, I would like to congratulate and thank family members of the foreign experts. That is because, obviously, they will be away from their mother countries serving us here in Kenya. We must say thank you to them for that sacrifice. I would also like to use this opportunity to thank the former Attorney-General of the Republic of Kenya for having served this country for 20 years. He has finally and peacefully accepted to hand over without resistant - considering the way some of the other older professionals have done in the politics of Africa. That is something I would like to recognize this afternoon. I support this Motion because I am attracted by the issue of balance. There has been very careful balance where the youth have been included in the names of Justus Maithya and Roseline Odede. I am also happy to note the balance on gender where I notice there is Roseline Odede, Meuledi Mabruki, Justice Georgina Wood and hon. Louise Otis. Having seen the balance here, especially on gender, I will address myself to the female constituents of this country. Whereas initially we seemed to have started having hiccups on matters of gender, I want to say that one cannot possibly achieve gender balance in one office, two offices or even three offices. The ladies of this country have spoken. We must be alive on matters of gender. We want to say that the people in leadership must emphasize to our ladies that this will be achieved over many appointments. That is when you can sit back, take stock and see whether we are moving nicely or we have started to shortchange our women. For those who like reading political history, you will remember what Patrice Lumumba said in 1961. He told the King of France that the African people of Congo had refused to be their monkeys. Those of us who see our women complaining, we must take it in the same strength that Lumumba said. Our women are simply saying that they have refused to be our monkeys as men. So, when they ask us, we must listen to them. I have a further point why I am supporting this list. I have seen that there has been a deliberate effort to recognize experience. In Sharad Rao and Sir Stephen Sedley, we have attracted a lot of experience in the vetting committee and I believe that they will draw from that experience. I have two reasons why I am supporting Mr. Sharad Rao. It is not because of his legal expertise because I have no knowledge of how he is good at it. But I am supporting him for two reasons. The first one is that, here is a man who served in the dispute panel of FIFA at the World Cup that was concluded in South Africa last year. Unknown to many Members of Parliament, maybe, a disputed decision at the World Cup causes more pain than a disputed decision in any nation. That is because a disputed decision at the World Cup affects and causes pain to billions of people who follow it. The international community was able to recognize Sharad Rao as someone who has the impeccable qualities that could attract him to serve on this panel speaks volumes. One little point l liked about the summary by the Committee on Sharad Rao is that he came out and admitted that once upon a time, he was charged in a court of law. This gives an opportunity to many people who think that being charged in a court of law, once, twice, three times or many times, is a crime that can deny you an opportunity to serve this country. This would make many more people to come forward irrespective of the few charges they are attracted to in their professional journey and life, knowing very well that because they were acquitted by those court processes, it is a further emphasis to the fact that they are men and women of impeccable character. I have, in conclusion, found a very interesting sense of belonging. I have found a sense of belonging to this list. This time, not because somebody of my tribe was on the list. I have a sense of belonging on this list because this is a list that recognizes professionalism. It gives me hope that in the unlikely event that the people of Kakamega County were to throw me out of politics, my professionalism will still earn me recognition. It also gives me a sense of belonging in that in Prof. Ngotho Wa Kariuki, we have a comrade in the struggle. This is a man who fought for the second liberation of this country. What is more important is that he was a member and Parliamentary aspirant on a FORD(K) ticket. With those few remarks, I support."
}