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{
    "id": 494081,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/494081/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 168,
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    "content": "First of all, I want to thank the President of the Republic of Kenya and the Deputy President for finding it wise to inform Kenyans that the President took a very serious action by going to The Hague. This was not a small matter and I think all of us know very well that this matter was so confusing. There were some people calling upon the President not to go to the Hague while others were asking him to go. He ended up making the right decision and we should thank him for that because he removed agony from Kenyans who were suffering from indecision. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you look at the Speech which was delivered by the President, it did not call for so many statements. This Speech is asking people to note. He willingly volunteered to give this Speech although under Article 132, it provides that he comes and gives the statement of whatever nature if he finds it necessary to do that and if he thinks it is useful to the nation. The President found it very important to call the two Houses and tell them; my dear brothers and sisters, here we are, I am required to go to the Hague and I have decided to go as Uhuru Kenyatta and not as your President. The Constitution is very clear that when the President leaves the country the Deputy President takes over his position. This was a situation of its own nature where the President boards an aircraft for the Hague as an ordinary Kenyan. This is why I think this was a very serious step that he took. It is not true for anybody to suggest that the President did not know what the Constitution says with all his advisors and that it is only in this House that we understand better. Personally as a student of international law, I believe that the President did the right thing, particularly to surrender the Presidency. This Speech does not require anybody to start talking about the case because it has no business with the case. It was a mere report that he was going to the Hague and for that reason, every Kenyan should be satisfied that he should go. This Speech should not be misused. There was somebody who tried to take advantage and tell us what he saw and heard. The President and the Deputy President have very competent lawyers and I saw them. Therefore, we do not need to take time defending them here. Whether you defend them here, it holds no water because the case is not in this Chamber or in Kenya. It is for the judges to decide what will happen. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, personally, I thought the judges had a problem amongst themselves because they were dealing with people they do not have any evidence against and, at the same time, they did not know what to do with the IDPS. Some of us are saying that people were corrupted but the judges have to decide what to do with a person they do not have evidence against and yet they do not want to release him. This is a very serious issue and it will be kept on record in international law. 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."
}