Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 497507,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/497507/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 110,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wakhungu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1889,
        "legal_name": "Chrisantus Wamalwa Wakhungu",
        "slug": "chrisantus-wamalwa-wakhungu"
    },
    "content": "thank His Excellency the President for assenting to the Heroes Act, 2014. The late Michael Christopher Wamalwa and former Vice-President of this country, was born in Kimilili, Bungoma County in 1944. The late Wamalwa went to Strathmore School where he was the head boy. Because of his debating skills he won a scholarship and went to study at the Kings College London where he graduated with a law degree. From there, he proceeded to the London School of Economics where he studied Masters in Law. He started his PhD but before completion he returned to this country and taught Law at the University of Nairobi. He was a lecturer. This Motion is there for purposes of upgrading Kitale Technical Institute to be renamed “Wamalwa Kijana University of Science and Technology.” We have a Heroes Act in place and recently we celebrated the Mashujaa Day. The essence of the Heroes Act is to recognise our fallen heroes. Without going further, you realize that Wamalwa Kijana contributed so much as far the welfare of this country is concerned. They brought the end of the KANU regime. He was the deputy to His Excellency Mwai Kibaki. If we look at Wamalwa as a person, he died in office when he had served for only eight months. He left a family. We appreciate the Government for giving him a State burial. We thank His Excellency the former, President Mwai Kibaki for whatever he did, but so far he is a forgotten hero. This great leader of this country hailed from Trans Nzoia County. He was the MP for Saboti Constituency. The constituency I represent now was initially represented by the late Wamalwa Kijana. It is in this spirit of the Heroes Act to recognise our fallen heroes that we want this technical institute to be renamed “Wamalwa Kijana.” What a nice befitting name because Wamalwa was a scholar and a lecturer! I am sure wherever he is, he is very happy to see that a learning institution is to be renamed after him. Wamalwa Kijana was a humble and very generous person. He represented the poor people. He paid fees for poor students and improved the welfare of many. When you go down to the county, there are so many lawyers, engineers and medical doctors who are where they are today because of the role Wamalwa Kijana played. He was a political father to many, including myself. I was his errand boy in 2002 when we were campaigning. Indeed, this is a gentleman who should be recognised. When you look at the NARC Government, he was like a stabilizer at that particular time. In many of his speeches he talked about team playing. You remember the famous words where he said: “we must be able to embrace each other and we must be able to give ideas”. He said that if we give others input, some people have good ideas. When good ideas are improved, they become better ideas. From better ideas, they become the best ideas. Before he passed on, he had gone to attend a Labour Conference in Geneva. He gave a powerful speech that many of the delegates up to today still think about this man of this country. He was a family man. He valued families and took care of the orphans. From nowhere he took them to school and some of them are top in their careers because of the support he gave them. Wamalwa Kijana represented a cosmopolitan constituency. Saboti Constituency is inclusive of all the 42 tribes. This is a gentleman who had the interest of this country at heart. He fought so much for the multi- party democracy in this country. He was on record with many other Members of Parliament who fought for the second liberation of this country including Senator Kiraitu Murungi, hon. Gitobu Imanyara, hon. Martha Karua, hon. Paul Muite and many others. 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."
}