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{
    "id": 402067,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/402067/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 185,
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    "content": "people who take a whole page; either the grammar is not correct or something like that. So, you wonder why he is calling himself His Excellency or honourable so-and-so when simple grammar is a problem with that particular person. So, I think the beginning is humility and this has been said time and again. If Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale and other Senators are considering amendments to this Bill, I would be very happy. Even this title of His Excellency is from a monarchical background where you had to address the Queen or the King with the full title and the full name. In modern society where people have become digital like Sen. Murkomen, you do not need too many of these titles. For me, the titles Mr. President, Deputy President, Senator or Governor are sufficient. There was a time – I want to remind the House – in the university, when the head of the students union was also called President. I was the President of the students union and we used to compete for space in the media. I would issue a statement in the media; that today, the President of the students union condemned acts of imperialism in Vietnam and called upon President so-and-so to put the position of the Kenya Government clear. The next thing we knew was an amendment brought to the National Assembly; that the term “President” is only reserved for the President of the Republic of Kenya. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you are the President of the Republic of Kenya, you earn that respect from the manner in which you lead the country and not necessarily by the name you are called. So, I will be very happy that amendments which have been recommended by the various speakers including the use of flags should be considered. Probably with good measure, I am quite ready to live with the fact that probably we need to refer to the President of the Republic of Kenya as His Excellency, but everybody else, call him with the office; Senator so-and-so, Governor so-and-so et cetera instead of these long titles that really do not matter. In fact, sometimes these titles attract the opposite because if they were really honourable titles, in the field of politics, if you are a Member of Parliament, the intelligence committee does not know you are honourable, they will be all over you. I remember when we used to be in activist politics with Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, appearing in any place, they would tell their bosses Mheshimiwa Orengo na Mheshimiwa Khalwalewamefika hapa and the next thing you would see are policemen and then they would teargas us. So, I am just wondering whether this title is worth anything. At that time, if Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale can remember, I thought that some of the honourable Members that we were with could do the marathon better than some of the great Kenyans who go to the London Marathon or the Boston Marathon because they ran so fast. I think the bottom line is good manners and service to the people, as you emphasized. There are some habits that die hard but they really show our attitude. For example, the President likes talking about my Government. There is never a Government belonging to any particular person. The Government in Kenya is the Government of Kenya. The ruling party can refer to the administration in place as the Jubilee Administration, our Government or my administration but if you say my Government too often, you begin to develop a certain attitude; that you feel you are almighty and all powerful. You begin to think that you can do anything that you wish. I am happy with the current President in the sense that I have only heard him twice or thrice saying “my Government”. But there were times that whenever you went to a public rally, you would hear somebody referring to it as Serikali yangu. Na akianza kuongea hiyo lugha, tulijua"
}