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"id": 457011,
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"speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
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"legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
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"content": "I have looked at the Bill. In my view, Clause 25 is a bit timid, and I would ask the Committee in charge to look at it and be a little bit more definite on the kind of awards that we want to give our heroes. For example, why would somebody who is a national hero queue when he goes to pay bills at a public place? These things should be obvious and, therefore, we should bring them out clearly in this Bill. Alternatively, we can capture them in regulations. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, having said so, I think the most forgotten heroes in this country – some of my colleagues have spoken to this – are our athletes. I remember that in 2008 when Kenya was coming out of the throes of the most debilitating national conflict that this country has ever seen, it was our athletes who helped us to heal this country. I remember vividly when the then Minister for Sports, Prof. Helen Sambili led this House in congratulating our athletes, led by Linnet Maasai, who had just won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres race at the World Athletics Championships. That event helped so much to heal this country. Why do I say so? In my view, when you win a gold medal at the Olympics you have actually beaten the whole world, but look at the record of Kenyans, which most of us do not seem to know. Kenya, first participated in the Olympics as a Republic in 1968. Between 1968 and 2008, Kenya won a total of 74 medals, of which 23 were gold, 28 silver and 23, bronze. Compare that with the whole of East Africa, which during that period had won a total of 83 medals, with Uganda bagging six, Tanzania, two, Burundi one and Rwanda nil. Coming back to gold medal, as I said, winning a gold medal, in my view, is beating the whole world. In 40 years, between 1968 and 2008, Kenya won a total of 23 gold medals, while the whole of East Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania, won a total of 25 gold medals. It means that all the 25 gold medals, except two, were Kenya’s. The other two gold medals were won by a Ugandan in 1972 at the Olympics and a Burundian in the 5,000 metres race in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics. That tally accounts for 92 per cent of all the gold medals that came to East Africa in that period, but how did we treat these heroes? The first Kenyan to win an Olympic gold medal was Naftali Temu from Borabu in Kisii. In my view, if such a man cannot be The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}