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"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/277728/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona",
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"speaker": {
"id": 376,
"legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in supporting, first of all, I want to stand in solidarity with the families who lost their loved ones in the flash flooding in Hell’s Gate in Naivasha and Gwasi and those who lost their property in Lambwe. This shows the effects of climate change and the Government is not doing enough to mitigate these effects of climate change. I would have wished to hear more of that in the President’s Speech. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I note that the President urged us to pass constitutional laws that would ensure the implementation of the Constitution. One law that the President consistently forgets about, that we passed in this House, it is the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act. I think there is somebody who is hiding it in the Attorney-General Office, because even in the bringing this law into effect, they hid it and I do not know whether it is because of the fact that I am the one who brought it. But you cannot stop an idea whose time has come. There are many Kenyans who are dying because of issues of trafficking in persons. I, therefore, wish to remind the President that we have such a law which he assented to and it must be brought into effect. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to also urge the President, that when he talked about certain laws that would ensure free and fair elections, he tended to address Parliament much more than the institutions. There are certain issues that we are usually urged as politicians not to bring to the fore in order to ensure that the country is in peace. I think that if we brought some of these things to the fore, before 2007, we would not have had a crisis. I would, therefore, without giving much details, urge the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to play above board and stop being partisan. I am speaking very advisedly. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to talk also on the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that the President spoke about. It is good that we are dealing with the issue of IDPs. However, in his Speech, he has not mentioned the alleged integrated IDPs. We saw them in many parts of this country. There are people who lost their limbs, lives and loved ones and we somehow think that through the miracle of God, they have managed to overcome. Could we address those IDPs and stop discriminating them on ethnic basis? Even if you go to Nakuru, IDPs are being treated very differently and I have said it before on the Floor of this House. We want a united country and must stop looking at people from the perspective of ethnicity. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the President for urging us to stop politicizing the International Criminal Court (ICC). I would want to urge him to magnify that statement because we know who is politicizing the ICC. Hon. Ababu has said here that there were some people who came to this Floor and loudly said “do not be vague, let us go to The Hague.” We went to The Hague and then started crucifying other people there; that they took us there. We know and I thank the Nation Media for highlighting and reminding us of what people said. So, let us stop politicizing the ICC. We went there and still need ourselves to stand together as a country. If we should think that coming back is the process, let us look for legal ways, but let us put blame squarely where it falls. We took ourselves there and so, let us deal with it. I also want to thank the President for noting that we have increased our universities and the intake has now moved to 200,000 from 20,000 in 2002. I listened to the Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology when she was talking so eloquently about universities. I am very worried and I am going to bring a substantive Question. I remember there were times when Kenyans would go to India to get degrees in law and nobody would want to employ them, because most of them were going to substandard universities. That is happening in Kenya. I have seen people who are putting up buildings which are smaller than a residential house and calling them universities. Some university colleges are operated above discos and they are calling them universities. Let this country be serious. We were known for high standards of education and I want to challenge my colleague and friend, Prof. Kamar, that women are known to produce high standards. Let us lead from the front by ensuring that high standards are maintained. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the President for raising the issue of Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). There are doomsayers who keep on saying that it is unconstitutional. I am a constitutional lawyer and I do not know what is unconstitutional about CDF. It has helped marginalized parts of this country and the people who seem to oppose it are people who have benefitted in the past. Those of us who come from marginal parts of this country have seen the benefits of CDF. Therefore, it must stay. I also thank the President on the issue of food security but he seemed to again focus on agriculture. There are areas that rely on fishing only. Now there is a ban on fishing of omena. I went to Rusinga Island and Mfangano Island recently and the people there requested the Government to lift the ban and find alternatives of dealing with that issue because places like Uganda do not do that. Finally, on the issue of security, I want to say that there is a growing and worrisome trend of intimidating people in relation to the issue of security. I was a victim of an attack by thugs. I was attacked by six thugs. When I reported it to the police, the Commissioner of Police went ahead and said that I had politicized the matter and authorized that I should be arrested and charged. I am embarrassed and ashamed this morning to be a Member of the Law Society of Kenya; they nave suggested that Hon. Jakoyo Midiwo should be arrested when he has said serious things. If Hon. Jakoyo Midiwo has said that the Prime Minister’s life is in danger and there are people who are plotting to kill him, do you expect them to come and say that “I am the one who was plotting to kill the Prime Minister”? I do not care what people say about politicizing--- People only live once and we do not want people to joke with our lives. I was a victim. I was attacked by six thugs and the Commissioner of Police said that I was joking and I was politicizing the issue. I want to urge Hon. Duale to stop politicizing such issues because he will be the next victim. Now you may feel safe but next time you will be the next victim. Unfortunately, for you when you are a victim we may not be there to say the things you are saying. So, do not make us look like we are trivializing things when people raise serious issues. I want to say that I hope the judiciary will be unbiased because our police force is very politicized. I hope that our judiciary will be unbiased, and will be the last resort for Kenyans who are feeling intimidated and threatened by the police. But we will not shut up. Mr. Deputy Speaker, very finally on the issue of oil, I want to encourage that we learn from Nigeria and the Sudan. Let us protect the interest of the ordinary Turkana people and encourage cohesion and integration in this country. I speak harshly because I am very consistent about principles I stand for; one of them is national cohesion and integration. That is why when I see us politicizing things that divide this country, I will speak and I will not be scared. With those few remarks, I support."
}