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{
"id": 304431,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/304431/?format=api",
"text_counter": 498,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Kosgei",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Agriculture",
"speaker": {
"id": 59,
"legal_name": "Sally Jepngetich Kosgei",
"slug": "sally-kosgei"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in that context, I want to say that a transition is not what happens on the day you are handing over power. It takes place over a long time. We prepared for six months and the chaos at Uhuru Park had nothing to do with the arrangements. That was an enthusiastic crowd for which there was no plan. However, one of the reasons we had those types of chaos had to do with the fact that Kenyans were not aware that there was, indeed, a plan for a peaceful handover. The incoming President had been briefed. I had briefed him along with others who were coming with him. We arranged a speech for him. Some of the people who were in that group did not trust us and decided that they did not want to use it. There were Heads of State here. We had invited them because we knew what we were doing. This was a tradition in the region. So, all these things were being done--- As a matter of fact, it has been mentioned here that one of the candidates had conceded defeat. Yes, Uhuru Kenyatta conceded defeat, but that speech had been written three months before the elections. There were two speeches; one for conceding defeat and the other one in the event that he should win the elections. This is the work of the Civil Service, as I knew it to be. This is what we had done for a very long time. We met every working day in the first month. In the second month, we met every other day and worked it out to a fine tune. It has been mentioned that, in fact, the instruments of power had been handed over before we came to Uhuru Park. That is true. But Kenyans did not realize the significance of handing over as the Head of Defence Forces. That was to encourage those who understood, to know that the outgoing President could not and would not call the forces out to the streets, if he did not like the results. That had already been done. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, but as I said, I could talk about this until tomorrow. The fact that we left Uhuru Park eventually without shoes and riding in other people’s cars because mine had no windscreen and glass at the back--- Two guys had to sit on me to protect me because they said that in their tradition, women cannot be killed in front of them. I was completely shaken, not because of fear, but because something that we had crafted for a very long time, taking a lot of pain to make sure that it works out well, had failed because of lack of trust. I would just like to put it at the level that, perhaps, people did not know and trust that, indeed, there was a process by which power would be transferred. That morning, the outgoing President had called the incoming President six times to encourage him to arrive at Uhuru Park quickly, so that he could hand over. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I said, I could speak about this subject for a long time. But I just want to commend the Ministry responsible for actually making it a law. That is because we cannot expect that people will simply know that it is their duty and then get up to do the jobs the way they are supposed to be done. So, I am very happy to support this. Actually, I feel that it should make our acceptance of transition of power a lot more easier and then we can be like other countries like Tanzania. That will make Kenya a happier place. Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir."
}