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{
    "id": 529585,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/529585/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, just because an issue appears popular at a point in time in our history, it does not make it right. Today, some of the greatest jurists, lecturers and people who we made reference to their work in this country when we were in school are today calling the ICC a western court to victimize African leaders. When the west gives you money for your coffers, they are your partners. When they ask you for accountability like every other community or well meaning people within the fraternity of human rights and international justice, they become neo-colonialists. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have stood up and sought this opportunity to address one or two issues that I think, in the realm of what you call a “meeting,” is what you call “matters arising.” Therefore, the matters arising from the President’s speech is that, then, it should also serve as a public policy message to stop the politicization of this process; to make the ICC the theatre to test your facts. Thirdly, to ensure that we respect all laws, particularly those laws that binds us within the jurisdiction of the Kenyan State. Sovereignty is not about floating your own Constitution and laws. First and foremost, sovereignty means you bear principal allegiance to your own. Therefore, if it is matters of sovereignty, this issue has also been dealt with in matters of international law. You cannot bring matters of sovereignty on matters of accountability and what we call crimes that shock the conscience of humanity; that is, the crimes against humanity or crimes that are referred to in the Rome Statute of the ICC. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, therefore, whether we like it or not, these actions have become deterrence. Never again shall this country be put through the theatre of violence that we saw a few years back. That should be a warning to any political leader. If you organize or if you are alleged to organize, we will seek you and we will punish you. I think that will bring sanity to Kenyan politics. I hope that the Kenyan Judiciary and the Kenyan prosecutorial service will rise to that occasion so that we avert this pet talk about how Africans are still being humiliated. It is a pity 50 or 100 years after Independence, we are still talking about the western powers sitting on you. Something must have gone wrong at the advent of Independence. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is about time we start to debate these issues very seriously, including the fact that we cannot use the same narrative again and again –"
}