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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, Prof. George Saitoti will be greatly missed, not just by the people of Kajiado North or his wife Margaret, but by all of us in this nation. While I was growing up, I could not make sense out of Mathematics. So, when I then came face to face in my early days as a young legislator with the Professor of Mathematics, I thought I was dreaming. You and I belong to another profession where we think we are learned, but in my view, hon. Prof. Saitoti was both an intellectual and a pragmatist. He was so pragmatic that he set the record, as you have said, of being the longest serving Vice- President. Therefore, as my senior colleague, I miss him dearly. Before I left on a trip to the United States of America and to China, along with hon. Samoei, I had to call on hon. Saitoti very early in the morning and we discussed matters to do with national security and how we could all help the people of upper Eastern Province as it is now. He undertook his responsibilities with great detail and attention. Therefore, it is difficult to really speak about Prof. George Saitoti in less than ten minutes. Suffice it to say that I miss a dear colleague, one I know was well positioned to take any leadership position in this country. Indeed, we all know that as the Chairman of the PNU Party, he had already declared his intention to run for the highest office in this country. I have no doubt in my mind that he would have made a worthy leader. Therefore, during this very difficult moment, our hearts go out to his wife Margaret and the people of Kajiado North. I know the tremendous amount of grief, not just in Kajiado North, but in the whole country. I join His Excellency the President in saying that we will do the best we can to get to the bottom of this accident, whatever it takes. I urge all of us to remain calm and allow the team that the Minister for Transport has put in place to do its work. With regard to hon. Joshua Ojode, all of us have that personal relationship with the Member for Ndhiwa. Indeed, as we fondly referred to him as “Serikali”, I can, as the Leader of Government Business, confirm to you and all these colleagues, that it is very difficult for me to imagine that tomorrow during Question Time, and there are Questions directed to the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, Hon. Ojode will not be on the Floor to answer Questions. He did this with such ease, flexibility and dexterity. I am sure all of us miss that dear brother. Therefore, the best we can do, as a country, in remembrance of these dear colleagues, is to remember the final moment we shared with them in Mombasa during the Peace Conference where all of us said that we were going to make sure that the next elections will be free, fair and credible. I remember the passion with which Prof. Saitoti addressed the Conference. It was like he had this premonition that he will not be there because he spoke with such vigor. He said that any of us associating with criminal gangs in this country in the hope that they can help you to become the next leader, Senator or Governor, I think you are clearly not acting in the best interest of this nation. Therefore, I want to pledge that we will do the best we can to live the wishes of hon. Prof. Saitoti and his Assistant Minister, hon. Ojode. May their souls rest in eternal peace."
}