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    "id": 390422,
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    "content": "which parties need to develop to conduct certain obligations that will make the parties live up to the expectations of the Constitution. Prof. Anyang’-Nyong’o alluded to the democratization struggle of this country. Many of us have read about it in history. Many of us may not have been there. However, one thing for sure is that we do not want to return this country to where it was. We are lucky that we did not suffer detention without trial. We have not been subjected to extreme torture. None of us, probably, spend endless nights incommunicado in detention or out of the reach of a legal representative. We regard ourselves as an extremely lucky generation of Kenyans to have benefited from the sacrifices of others. These sacrifices also led us to develop one of the most dynamic constitutions in the world. However, this Constitution will render far less than the standard if those charged with its implementation give less than what is demanded of them. Therefore, you can be well assured that some of us, younger Kenyans, who came and found an expanded democratic space will continue to expand the space and to protect what has already been expanded. Therefore, any Government that acts in a manner ultra vires to the spirit of this Constitution must be held to account. All successive governments that will come must be urged to meet their constitutional obligations, and political parties are the cornerstone of democratic competition. Therefore, those who attempt to suffocate or stifle the operations of these parties are stifling the growth of democratic competition and the very institutionalisation of these parties. Therefore, I second this Motion because I believe that it is extremely timely. I hear of KANU’s one party rule. However, we cannot now have a one party state by simply crippling the functions of other parties. We know, those of you who understand politics better than me, that resources and facilitation of parties is extremely important for parties to meet part of their obligations. As the Secretary General of the ODM Party who is also the Mover of this Motion has stated, the parties need to start rolling out their programmes. It is ultra vires and negates the very spirit of this Constitution that after an election that was held in March, months after that, we have not put our house in order to capacitate these political parties to move forward. I wish to reiterate the fact that after a democratic struggle in this country it was felt necessary to depersonalise political parties. Therefore, the political parties provision in one of the most reformist movements forward was enshrined in the Constitution, it is very disheartening that at this point in time, six months after cash has been released and everything else, money has been released to the Uwezo Fund and any other thing we think is a pet project, we still try to stifle where we have constitutional obligations. I, therefore, ask and demand of the Government, in seconding this Motion to ensure that they release this money forthwith so that the parties that we have justly and rightfully earn their appropriation. Democratic competition should be accorded the resources it needs so that parties continue to conduct the good work of democratization. We are critical of many of our institutions because we want to improve them, but we cannot allow anybody to stifle that improvement, because these parties have metamorphosed and continued to grow. Until and unless they are accorded that right, as The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}