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{
    "id": 423522,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/423522/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 312,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "March 4, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 42 The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to speak to the amendment. I want to address my colleagues, Sen. Elachi and Sen. Mugo, through the Chair. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am addressing the House and my colleagues too and I think they have missed the point. This Motion does not say “compensate the coup plotters of 1982;” it says “those suspected of complicity in the coup.” The fundamentals of justice are that everybody is presumed innocent until proved guilty. If you may recall our history – and I want the Senate Minority Whip, my very good friend – to listen to me very carefully. After the 1982 attempted coup, the Government disbanded the then Air Force regardless of whether all the Air Force members participated in that coup or not, and they lost their jobs! Their families lost everything! There are those who were taken to court and they were convicted; there are those who were simply told “you are disbanded, go home!” There was nothing to establish that they knew, whether they participated or even sympathized with the coup. These are the people we are talking about and everybody in this House must know somebody who suffered that injustice, and they are many! I know many people! Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I want to urge my colleagues that Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale’s intentions cannot have been that those who were convicted of participating in the coup be compensated; it is simply those suspected. Even in the last two lines--- The last two lines talk about those unfairly dismissed from employment after the coup and not those who were justifiably removed from work. I want to encourage them that Kenyans are watching and for the record, I know Captain Kipsang, Captain Wafubwa, Captain Mutoro and Captain Masinde who were dismissed at that time and they went to court. The High Court found that they were actually unfairly dismissed and compensated them. We are talking of the rank and file of those in military terms commonly called “other ranks”, other than generals, brigadiers, captains, lieutenants and so on. We are talking about people down there, “watu wa mkono” in the army. For example, a cook in the army who happened to be in the air force and was dismissed and told to go home simply because there had been an attempted coup. Why should we exclude them from compensation and the Motion quantifies and qualifies who should be in this net? It is not a broad statement that all those who were in the army in 1982 should be compensated. I would not support that either because I will support the rule of law like Sen. Elachi has eloquently said. So, we are looking for justice for those who suffered unfairness. I want to encourage my sisters across the Floor that we agree with you that this is a country that believes in constitutionalism and the rule of law and that is why it is unfair to unfairly dismiss people simply because they were in a crowd when something happened. I beg to oppose."
}