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{
    "id": 476260,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/476260/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 320,
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    "content": "neighbours who will welcome Kenyans? We have to be honest as leaders when we debate. Many of those countries fear Kenyans. They say we are aggressive. The Senator for Homa Bay said that they call us thieves among other names. I once went somewhere – I will not mention the name of the country – and met a Managing Director, a Kenyan, running a Serena Hotel. In that hotel, we found the Keringet bottled water being used. The Head of that State entered that hotel and asked openly who was running the hotel. He was told that it was a Kenyan running the hotel. He asked why they were not using water from their country instead of Keringet and the Manager was taken aback. A few months later, the Manager was back in the country. We must learn, as Kenyans, as we move on, that God has blessed us and given us a lot of brains. However, we have a challenge in knowing that we do not have many friends. We are told that we open up and that we have good hospitality. As we go to other countries, things become very difficult. We must protect our country. We must know that we are safe where we are for the sake of our own children, brothers and sisters. We must also know, as we talk as leaders, that we have many Kenyans out there who rely on us and we must reciprocate to their country which will give them a better platform to continue doing their businesses. I want to thank the Speaker for bringing up the issue of women in his Speech. As my Chairperson of the Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association (KEWOPA) said, if political parties in this country embraced— That is why when women stand for presidency, in the end, the results are not good. This is because we play masculine politics. We come out very strongly to say what we will do. Kenyans, owing to their culture, will find a lot of faults. The politics of Africa are politics of men. The conflicts we experience in Africa are a result of the struggle for power. When you look at all the conflicts we have seen in many countries, it is because of power struggles. It is the men who fight for power and not the women. Rwanda could be making strides in development because women have taken various positions to build their country as women. We should look beyond ourselves for this country to develop. What is the purpose of holding the positions we hold? I believe God has a purpose for us being in the Senate and He would wish us to leave a mark when we exit. Those who have led us before must be respected regardless of the challenges that we are facing. This respect does not only apply to the President and his Cabinet but everyone who has held any position of leadership in this country. That does not mean that we should not critique the Government, but we should do so for the sake of all Kenyans. We should fight for and defend everything for the sake of all Kenyans since we are all the same. It is only that we have different fathers and mothers but they are all God’s creation. We were all created in the image of God. I look at a country where Kenyans are wondering whether politicians mean what they say because they keep changing goal posts. We should think about our values; how can we ensure that Kenyans trust what we talk about? How sure are we that Kenyans will believe in what we say? Sometimes politicians lie for the sake of their survival. Kenyans have a reached a point where they do not take lies any more. Is it not fair to stand up and say the truth? Maybe that is why we have seen a lot of demonstrations in this country, for example, when demonstrators came to Parliament Buildings with pigs. This is because of the image that we portray. This is an image that worries the youth. We have even gone 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."
}