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{
    "id": 518374,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/518374/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 271,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. If distinguished Senators can remember, Prof. Anyang’-Nyong’o brought a Motion to this Chamber and we gave him the green light to draft a Bill to address the abuses and excesses that have come to characterise an otherwise very noble cause. I was privileged to be nominated by him to serve in the Committee that went round to collect and collate views of Kenyans on what they felt about harambees. I remember we had a public meeting in Kitengela County. The Members of County Assembly (MCAs) who came to meet us with the Speaker had alongside them a group of very agitated church people who had misunderstood what our intention was. When we explained to them what the philosophy behind this move was, one of them prayed for us. Harambees have played a role in developing this country. Some of us, including myself, went through harambee secondary schools as many people who have gone to worship in a church or a mosque built on harambee basis. Some have even drank water from projects developed on harambee basis. Kenyans are very generous at heart. You will see people in the villages coming together to donate their labour, energy and money towards a common good. I was convinced to work alongside Professor in promoting this Bill because of the historical abuses and obscenities that came to hijack the harambee spirit; a spirit that was benevolent, a spirit that was meant to be human became a dispirit of purveying merchandise, opulence, display of obscene wealth and all of a sudden, thieves, robbers and gangsters became the most generous contributors to harambees. Even churches started running to known criminals; to invite them to preside over harambees in their churches. You would go to a village and find that a local rogue is referred to as BwanaMaendeleo because he donates his ill-gotten wealth during harambees. When you turn up as an honest Kenyan and give Kshs20,000 which is all that you have--- Our distinguished church people forget that in the Bible, Jesus said the woman who gave the little and the only that she had was better than the pharisees who gambled with money and accounted for half of it while keeping the other half. The society does not seem to appreciate any more that when Sen. Kittony goes to give the only Kshs10 that she has, from her heart, she is not Mama Maendeleo . However, 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."
}