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"id": 229441,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Kenyatta",
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"legal_name": "Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is common knowledge that today, private academies are, in terms of examination results, beating public institutions. That is a situation that has not been seen in a long time. Therefore, as much as we appreciate the FPEP, it shows that there is a problem that remains to be resolved. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what about the burden of parents who are happy with the FPEP? Today, those parents have less disposable income than they had four years ago as a result of increased prices in basic commodities such as unga, sugar, paraffin and the increase in the cost of transportation as a result of an increase in the price of fuel. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, today, more Kenyans live below the poverty line than they did in the year 2002. Is that economic growth real? Has that growth changed the life of an average Kenyan for the better? In reality, is the average Kenyan today not worse off than he was four years ago? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, His Excellency the President referred to an increase in growth in the communication and tourism sectors. Has that resulted in an increase in employment opportunities? Has it resulted in an increase in the bottom line profitability of companies? We have over 2 million unemployed youths. Even at current growth rates, by the year 2013, there will be over 5 million unemployed young men and women. Is that not the cause of the increase in crime? Had there been gainful employment for those young men and women, crime would be on the decrease and not on the increase as is the case now. Therefore, are we going to get an answer by this House passing Bills or the Government issuing \"shoot to kill\" orders or by being focused on how to create gainful employment opportunities for our young men and women? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we talk about growth, and I refer to His Excellency the President's Speech when he referred to regional differences in natural endowment. That is a wrong kind of thinking. This country is adopting a mentality that regional inequalities are caused by differences in natural endowments. That kind of mentality says that areas like North Eastern Province are basic wastelands fit only for aid and, by extension, the people living in those areas are considered to be useless! The right kind of thinking is the one that sees different regions in our country as regions of different potentiality. Gatundu Constituency, for example, is a high-potential area for the production of tea and coffee. Mr. Billow's constituency is a high-potential area for livestock rearing. What are we doing to invest in that high-potentiality? This country has over ten million head of cattle. Botswana has only two million head of March 22, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 81 cattle. From the two million head of cattle, Botswana earns as much in terms of foreign exchange as we do from our export of coffee. That means that we have not prioritised our programmes correctly. It is that lack of prioritisation that results in increased unemployment and crime in our country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President went on to refer to a number of Bills that he would like this House to pass. There are Bills aimed at stemming corruption. One such Bill is the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Bill. There is also a Bill that seeks to make public the wealth declaration forms of public officers. All those Bills are good. But the question we ask is: What has the Government done with the Bills that we have already passed? What has the Government done with those Bills that were brought by this Government aimed at curbing corruption? Corruption still thrives in this country. Are we just passing Bills for the sake of doing so or for pleasing the donor community? Are we passing Bills because we are genuinely interested in fighting the scourge of corruption in this country? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President spoke of increasing the number of judges to 200. That is good. We need more judges. Many cases remain pending in our High Court and Court of Appeal. We, as a political party, have cases that have been pending for the last two years; constitutional matters in connection with the ownership of the Kenyatta International Conference Centre and the illegal Government of National Unity that today governs this country illegally and unconstitutionally. When those cases are brought forward, they are passed for reference and passed over and over. But when it comes to cases that involve interfering with the activities of political parties, like the cases that have been brought by some non-entities in KANU and in FORD(K, they are fast-tracked and brought forward. So, the question is, is it that we need more judges or is that we need a more transparent manner in which we appoint those judges to ensure their independence and that of the Judiciary as a whole? Is that the law that the President seeks to bring? If that is the law that the President seeks to bring before this House, then we can be sure that we would be better armed to fight corruption and to ensure the many pending cases are dealt with expeditiously and in accordance with the rule of law and not in accordance with executive orders or direction. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is important to say that it is that lack of transparency in the appointment of judges that has resulted also in increased ethnic tensions in this country. It is sad to say that recently, the Government appointed a new Governor of the Central Bank. But because that Governor is a Kikuyu and was appointed in a non-transparent manner, it has resulted in other Kenyans feeling that, that appointment has been done as a result of ethnic basis. Why could we not have appointed the Governor through a transparent manner that would have probably resulted in the same man being appointed, but all Kenyans accepting that he was the best man for the job? When we do things behind closed doors, it results in negative impressions. So, today, a possible potentially good Governor is carrying baggage purely because of his ethnicity. Had we done that appointment in a transparent manner, he would enjoy the support of the entire House and all the 30 million Kenyans. This issue of transparency must be addressed by this country so that we begin to move away from the attitude that my community can only benefit when a person from my community is in Government. We want the best Kenyans for the job, and that can only happen in a transparent, open and accountable manner. We can no longer have leaders going out to say that we want this Government out because it is a Kikuyu or Kalenjin Government, and we want the next Government to come in because there will be a Kamba or a Kisii President. When will the 42 ethnic communities all have a chance of ruling this country? It must be that governance will be based on issues not ethnicity, and those issues can only be dealt with if Kenyans as a whole feel that the business of Government will be conducted in an open, transparent manner that takes into account the diversity of our nation. 82 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 22, 2007 Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of minimum reforms, I am happy to hear that the President has directed that this issue be brought to the fore. We have always wanted and encouraged dialogue. It is unfortunate that it is those Members in Government charged with the responsibility that have been against dialogue. It is our hope that the dialogue that the President has asked for will be honest. Given the fact that he has realised that Kenyans are desirous of those minimum reforms, may be as a sign of good will, he should begin by sending all those electoral commissioners who were appointed illegally and wrongfully, against the code of IPPG, back home and saying; \"ladies and gentlemen, let us now do it in an open, transparent and accountable manner, so that everyone feels they are involved and have participated in the decisions\". That way, we can ensure that we have a free and fair election. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we want new constituencies. But the fear of Members and Kenyans is; how will those constituencies and boundaries be drawn up through the minimum reforms? Let us do that also in an open and transparent manner so that it has the acceptance of all Kenyans, and so that Kenyans can say, that which has been done is the right thing, and it has been done fairly and justly. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to talk about the Political Parties Bill. We are happy to hear that the Political Parties Bill is being brought before this House. But even today, within our existing laws, there are issues. Towards this end, I challenge you also, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. A while ago, you mentioned that this Government has encouraged an open multi-party democracy. Yet, today, as I sat here, I was looking at Hon. Serut, the Member for Mt. Elgon, elected on a KANU ticket, answering questions on behalf of the NARC Government. Is that encouraging a multi-party democracy in our society or destroying it? These are issues that Kenyans must begin to address in an honest, open manner in order for us to get lasting solutions to the problems that bedevil our society. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the challenge of this Government is, first, to bring in constitutional reforms within the shortest possible time. These minimum changes are fundamental towards encouraging dialogue and bringing Kenyans together. We want legislation brought before this House that will ensure that the 200 judges who are going to be appointed, if we pass that law, will be appointed in an open, transparent and accountable manner. Let us have the Political Parties Bill brought in and please, let us begin to see an end to interference in the affairs of political parties in this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President said we need genuine dialogue. I encourage that dialogue. But let it be dialogue that does not seek to hide the symptoms, but that actually wants to get to the root cause of the problems that bedevil our society. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, most importantly, what keeps this country together and what is great about this country is its ethnic diversity. However, over the years this ethnic diversity has consistently been used to tear Kenyans apart. Let us use an opportunity to dialogue and begin to mend some of those bridges. Let us accept that the politics of inclusivity today overrule the politics of exclusivity. A Government may have power, but consultations never hurt. Dialogue never killed. Kenyans have a right to be included and consulted equally. I appeal to my fellow politicians to begin to bring an end to the use of negative politics of ethnicity to tear our people apart. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, as my time seemingly is running out, I would like to take this opportunity to repeat to the President what he himself said in his Speech. His advice to us that if he himself also followed would ensure a united, harmonious, prosperous and democratic country. He says:- \"The common interests of the people of Kenya override any other individual or functional agenda\". We no longer want to hear about NARC(K), NARC and DP. If it is NARC that was elected, it is NARC that should stand until the end. If it is KANU in the Opposition, let us stand in the Opposition until the end. If we wish to discuss, let us deliberate in a proper March 22, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 83 consultative manner. That is what Kenyans expect from this leadership. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President went on to say: \"This is possible when leaders set aside personal interests and dedicate themselves to pursue what is best for the people of Kenya\". This Government needs to ask itself: \"Is what we are doing in the best interests of the people of this country or is it purely an attempt at self-preservation of a new clique to hang to power at the expense of others?\" This country has great potential and it can reach to much greater heights. What this country desires most is a policy or programme of inclusivity in the agenda of this nation. For us to realise that, no single community or individual bears the answer to the myriad of problems that we face. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank you."
}