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{
    "id": 501393,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/501393/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "When you look at this Bill, is it clearly addressing the intention of Article 232 of the Constitution? Look at Clause 13 for example; it says that where a person alleges violation of the values and principles of Public Service by a public officer--- What is one of those values of Public Service? One of those values is ethnic inclusivity, and it is stated in this Constitution. It closes by talking of the supervisor and then it goes on. Curiously, it does not say what will happen if that complaint is not acted upon. I am wondering what kind of law is this. We are addressing a major problem in this country. This Bill curiously does not--- Despite the fact that the gravity of the problem it attempts to address--- In my view, the problems of efficiency in the public sector are window-coating. To call a spade a spade, the problem in Kenya is negative ethnicity and nepotism. That is the intention of this Bill but where is it talking about it? I have been in this House for a while. This is the first time I am seeing a Bill which does not list any offences. What happens if you report and nothing is done? There is no single offence that is mentioned in this Bill. What kind of Bill is this? I have been speaking about this thing from the time I was privileged to join this House in early 2008. I have, since then, been speaking about this problem passionately and with conviction. I have said that once Kenya addresses the problem of negative ethnicity, this country would move forward. This Bill is an opportunity for us to do exactly that but does it seek to do so? Absolutely not! If we are serious about addressing what is envisaged under Article 232 of the Constitution, we need to withdraw this Bill and re-draft it. We must take bold steps. Dealing with negative ethnicity in Kenya requires boldness and courage. It does not require scratching the surface. All of us suffer. We have been told that if we support our own, we are on our way to heaven but what do we see? Daniel Moi was the President of this country for 24 years. Did we not see people eating dogs in Baringo? If that is the cure to our problems, did it work? It did not! The solution lies in serving every Kenyan equally. The solution lies in giving every Kenyan justice as envisioned in our National Anthem. The solution lies in forging a unified nation where we live as one indivisible nation. Therefore, in its current form, I find it impossible to support this Bill. I cannot support it because it clearly dodges the aspirations of the good intentions of Article 232. This House cannot sit here to rubber-stamp a Bill which is going to take us back to where we were. We are addressing qualitative issues of efficiency. How do you measure efficiency? We have a chance to quantitatively deal with the problem that has dogged this country for decades but we are dodging it. We are pretending that we are presenting a clean Bill to deal with Kenya’s biggest problem. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I will bring major amendments to this Bill. I am, in fact, even proposing that it be withdrawn because it does not help us in any way. It does not help us to move forward. Some of us have embraced Kenyan communities from different parts of this country in our own small ways but that has not stopped us from coming here. Why are we afraid of tackling the problem of negative ethnicity in Kenya? Why is this House not tackling this problem? It affects everybody even within the counties. Go to counties like Narok and Baringo, where there are more than one ethnic community. These problems are there. It is no longer a national problem. It is even an inter-county problem. 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."
}