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{
    "id": 351326,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/351326/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 319,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Keynan",
    "speaker_title": "The Member for Eldas",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 41,
        "legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
        "slug": "adan-keynan"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you and the Speaker for having been elected to your positions. Secondly, I want to congratulate all the hon. Members for their success. I want to welcome them to both the pleasure and pressure of politics. I want to assure them that this is the most sought after job. Therefore, when you are here, you must exercise your constitutional mandate as the legitimate representatives of the people of Kenya as clearly enshrined in Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I want to comment on two things. I know that five minutes is a very short time. I want to appreciate the Address by His Excellency the President and particularly note one aspect that we really need to address as a country; that is the issue of negative ethnicity. You will realise that today this country is more tribal than never before to the extent that there is a new phenomenon called “biological nationalism”, where one does not think outside the scope of one’s tribe. I want to appreciate and urge His Excellency the President’s government to remove this aspect of our politics being ethnic-centred and bring about politics of issue-oriented. That is the only way we can survive and develop as a country. I have heard comments on the issue of the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). I want to appreciate those of us who come from the region I come from. In 1991, at the advent of multi-partism, the people of northern Kenya, and generally, the pastoralist communities, were very happy. Indeed, they said that, that was the beginning of their independence. Later on, the CDF was introduced and we said: “Wow! This is better than the advent of multi-partism.” Finally, the current Constitution was promulgated and we said: “This is even better.” Therefore, anybody’s attempt to interfere with the CDF is actually derailment of development. Hon. Deputy Speaker, there are busy bodies in this country who have criminalised the existence of Members of Parliament. We, in this House, represent the face of Kenya. Even during the times of Plato and Aristotle there was democracy at every level. People used to congregate and decide on issues affecting them. This kind of representative democracy is the most civilised representation in the world. Therefore, hon. Members must be on the forefront to defend it. I also want to put on notice those quasi government agencies headed by the likes of Nyachae; that they have no supervisory role on the institution of Parliament. Parliament is one of the three critical arms of the Government of the Republic of Kenya. I also appreciate that there are also other emerging arms of government. Previously, we never used to appreciate the existence of members of the Fourth Estate and the civil society. These organisations now have new definitions. They are emerging as other arms of government. That notwithstanding, which country in the world has ever survived by criminalising the elected leadership of that country? This issue must come to an end. Let me tell you that whether you will be re-elected or not, it will not be dependent on what you say here but rather on a number of variables in your constituencies. This is your time; do not get cowed. Enjoy your rights as"
}