Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 470803,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/470803/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 315,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Hassan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 431,
        "legal_name": "Hassan Omar Hassan Sarai",
        "slug": "hassan-omar-hassan-sarai"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I have heard many Senators who have spoken before me trying to say that they are not here to support or oppose this Bill. I just want to ventilate on the proposed amendment. I will take a similar line, but in my submission, I think that one will be able to tell whether or not I support this amendment. One of things that have led to the formation or proliferation of political parties in Kenya is the lack of ideological discourse. I do not see why if you believe in a certain value system or ascribe to a certain brand of politics, you will need to form a party that will only get one MCA or fluke its way through the Senate or gubernatorial process. The reason we have continued to have the fractures in our democracy that deny us the opportunity to move away from ethnicization of the Kenyan politics, is the fact that we have had so many fiefdoms of parties that actually do not necessarily reflect the national character, but sometimes reflect the tyrannical elements of politics and an amalgamation of a few tribes coming together to get political power. That is why today we are in the position that we are in. Since the political process envisages reward, when you come together as two or three communities, then you tend to reward the communities that apparently ascribe to that political coalition. I am still not persuaded that there is any wisdom in funding a political party that has one Member of the National Assembly or MCA. I think that, that person must look for an opportunity of joining a broader political coalition and benefit from it in terms of moving forward their agenda. This is because I think that a one man army in a political set up of this nature is often futile. We know a Senator here who comes from one political party and you will hardly know the political balance that he speaks on. I am not trying to be adverse, but I think that the nature of politics, particularly in terms of developing democracies is to ensure that parties ascribe to certain formats, value systems or views on how to run governments. That is why earlier I rose on a point of order when a Senator said that you cannot tell the difference between political parties. I think you can tell the difference between political parties in any country in terms of who constitute these political parties. The people who constitute these political parties often reflect the beliefs of these political parties. It is not possible to say that a certain Senator who, say, is on the extreme right, and I, think alike because the only thing that separates us is the fact that we have manifestos that call for building of roads and whatever else. That is mechanical and a very narrow view of governance and the Government. There is a broader concept. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, my colleague, Sen. Murkomen, spoke about what URP stands for. I can tell you what the CORD Coalition stands for. The CORD Coalition 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."
}