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{
    "id": 447972,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/447972/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 299,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 193,
        "legal_name": "Peter Anyang' Nyong'o",
        "slug": "peter-nyongo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was saying that I am moving this Motion on behalf of all of us not for any particular reason over a conjunction nature but for a reason that looks at the present and the future as well. The importance of the Bill of Rights is that it safeguards individuals as citizens of this nation against any transgression by the State that may at any one time be done at political expedience or individual expedience. Therefore, the Bill of Rights is one of the most important aspects of our Constitution. Any modern democratic nation must enshrine in its Constitution the Bill of Rights. It has been said that the Fourth Estate or the media is a very important aspect of democracy in modern nations. What happened on 7th July, 2014 had been billed before then as going to be a mega dome of this nation; that things were going to fall apart. Indeed, many people called me or sent me text messages asking what is going to happen on 7th July, 2014. My answer to them was; the rains will not come down, the earth will not split into two nor will the moon get married to the sun. We knew that 7th July, 2014 was going to be a day during which we will make it very clear why we are calling for a national dialogue, failing which we shall provide a political alternative. To the end, that is what we did, notwistanding the attempt I think by some insidious forces to try and disrupt the rally – which Sen. James Orengo and I foiled when it was occurring – eventually the rally went on very peacefully and democratically. But what is more important is that the nation wanted to listen to what was happening because this was a historical moment. As we were in the rally, as the Secretary General of the ODM and immediate former acting party leader, I received several text messages from people asking me why they were not seeing what was happening. I was wont for an answer. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you must also understand that the media houses had come there well equipped to broadcast this rally live. Advertising companies were going to benefit tremendously because of maximum viewing of this rally on that day. Indeed, if a census were to be taken by opinion poll companies, one may realize that the population that could have watched that rally was quite high and, therefore, the advertising revenue for media houses could have been very high. Therefore, for those of us who know some things about media, media houses lost an opportunity to make some perks; but that is a “by the way”. What is more important, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, is the actions precedent to that experience. On Wednesday, 2nd of July, 2014, in Serena Hotel, Gen. Karangi and the Cabinet Secretary (CS) in charge of Information, Mr. Matiangi, called all the media houses – and they were duly represented in good numbers and I have spoken to them – and they were given directions that they must not cover this rally live because it is likely to cause tension in the nation."
}