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{
    "id": 543892,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/543892/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 233,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "April 28, 2015 SENATE DEBATES 38 Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to start by remembering the words of the former President of Tanzania, the late Mwalimu Nyerere, who told Tanzanians that; “mfichaficha uchafu, mwishowe ugonjwa humfichua” I use these words of the former President to request Senators to know that the threat of Al-Shabaab has been around for a long time, in fact since 2007; and we do not talk about it because of the various sensitivities associated with it. But as we continue doing this, tunaficha ficha uchafu na ugonjwa kupitia kwa maafa, umeanza kutufichua. Bombing of Parliaments in the world is a reality; the first such occurrence took place in the Palace of Westminster during the Second World War when the Houses of Parliament were bombed a total of 14 times. It happened in the Indian Parliament where 14 people died in 2001. It happened in Libya in the City of Tobruk; it happened in Somalia on 5th July 2014 where a suicide bomber killed four people including Members of Parliament (MPs). It happened with devastating effects on 6th April 1994, in the Parliament of Rwanda, when it was bombed severally after a plane carrying President Habyarimana of Rwanda together with President Ntaryamira of Burundi was shot down. So, to hear that our Parliament is under threat is a reality which we must rise to and say nothing but the truth. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is sad that as I move this Motion, I have been prompted to do so because of two things; one, is the killing of 148 innocent university students in Garrisa and the arrest of a member of staff working in the HANSARD of the Senate on suspicion of being a possible sympathizer of Al Shabaab. It calls and begs for several questions because this man was first mentioned by a United Nations (UN) Monitoring report in 2011. This matter even came on the Floor of the last Parliament where I was privileged to attend. This man’s name was mentioned together with the name of a former Minister from Coast Province who is currently a Cabinet Secretary. It was mentioned on the Floor of the House in the Report together with a female nominated MP in the last Parliament who is still a Nominated MP again. It begs the question, as we played Mr. nice, gentleman and lady; what did the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) do from that time? What has the Chairman of the PSC, the Clerk of the Senate, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the two Speakers done? We must demand that these officers should tell Kenyans why they have had an officer who was under the radder for all these years and why they have not come out publicly to tell us what they are doing about it. This officer, who has been arrested, according to the Report in 2011, belongs to the Muslim Youth Centre in Pumwani, also called the Pumwani Youth Centre and is a Vice Chair of a mosque there. We need the security organs to tell us what they have done all this time, whether they have been keeping this young man under the radder deliberately or whether they just wished it off. It is important that we know. This particular youth centre is registered as a Community Based Organization (CBO) and gets funding. Some of the politicians that I have mentioned at the beginning of my speech were actually named because they were suspected to be channeling money through that CBO. We want the security forces to tell us what kind of statements they have taken from these politicians. 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."
}