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{
    "id": 303095,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/303095/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 433,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Anyang’-Nyong’o",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Medical Services",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 193,
        "legal_name": "Peter Anyang' Nyong'o",
        "slug": "peter-nyongo"
    },
    "content": " Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to support this Motion to extend the life of this Commission. I would also like to appreciate the points that hon. Members have raised that in the best of all worlds, this Commission should have finished its work in time and handed it in expeditiously. But as you know, this Commission was involved in a lot of problems. Some of the problems are not of its own making. The nature of the work of this Commission invited a lot of interest whereby some people were resistant to the work of the Commission. Therefore, the undercurrents leading to the problems of the Commission, some of us do understand. I just want to say one thing: For those of us who went through this very difficult period, we are looking forward to this report of the Commission. When I was teaching at the University of Nairobi in the early 1980s, I did lose my brother under very dubious circumstances in Mombasa. Attempts to get the information on this to unravel what happened failed miserably. The police department which was investigating this was disbanded in a matter of three weeks. So, we had nowhere to get information. Several years later when I approached the late Shaw who was part of the reserve police in Nairobi and who knew a lot, I remember going with the late Shaw to Starehe Boys School, we went in the middle of the football field, he left his car on the touchline and he told me this is the safest place where we could talk about this issue. At that point in time it was approaching ten years after my brother had disappeared and we wanted to put a closure to the misery. We wanted to see whether the Attorney-General could institute an inquiry. The late Shaw told me in no uncertain terms that I would be wasting my time trying to get an inquiry into the issue because there was no wing in the Government to look into such issues. He told me that the best thing would be, rather than keep on having pain in the family, to put a closure on the issue and hope that one of these days there would be a willing Government which would look into this issue. Some of these things that you can see, cases going to court or people who were detained and are now looking for reparations, are very painful and very deep. Kenyans, as Mr. Wetangula was saying, would like to be reconciled to one another, to know who did what. Not so much that there can be retribution but so much so that we can finally know that something happened, how it happened, why it happened and we can live with our conscience and mind at peace. I think this is what Kenyans are looking for. So, I do hope that this Commission will very clearly bring out a report as people have reported to it without any fear or favour so that the truth can be known and true reconcilliation can occur in our nation. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, though it is difficult to agree with the extension, I think there is necessity for a proper job to be done. I hope this time that this extension is indeed the last and we shall see the product of this Commission. Notwithstanding the problem that it had, I think it is capable of coming out with a report at least on cases that were reported to it. Even people who have not appeared before the Commission, if they can write that report and send it the Commission, we can then reconcile our nation not on the basis of speculation but on the basis of facts. I beg to support."
}