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{
    "id": 572272,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/572272/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 237,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "July 23rd, 2015 SENATE DEBATES 26 The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it was a preamble. I salute those who are still sitting across the Floor. I hope they will see things the way we see them. When President Obama was elected, there was a statement that was repeatedly made in quotation of Martin Luther King. He said that a man – I believe a woman as well – shall be judged not by the colour of his skin, but by the content of his brain and character. This is because the election of President Obama was a shattering effect to the nightmare of racism in USA. He shattered the myth from very humble beginnings and became the first black man to be elected President of USA; to crown it all, a black man of Islamic descent – Barack Hussein Obama. In his inauguration speech, one of the most critical statements that he made in dismissing the misguided policy that had been pursued by the Republican Government was that he would reach out to everybody and that you could not shake hands with a clenched fist. You have to open your palm to shake hands. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, President Obama is leaving office next year having achieved milestones. Even if he did nothing else, he made history as a first black President of USA of Islamic descent. More importantly, he has achieved four milestone legacies on the domestic front; Obamacare and the revolutionary law on immigration. Being a son of an immigrant himself, he has made it easy for Hispanics, Africans and all non-Americans living there to become American citizens. That is a milestone. The third milestone in his legacy is the standoff between a small mistreated island called Cuba. The occupation of Guantanamo Bay turned into one of the most draconian prisons in the world worse than Alcatraz. President Obama has normalized relations with Cuba. Today, a Cuban flag flies on the thoroughfare in Washington D.C. The USA one flies on the waterfront in Havana. Cuba is now part of the free world. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the fourth legacy is that he has steered and guided the resolution of the standoff between Iran and the world. Only last week, an agreement of far-reaching consequences on Iran’s right to pursue nuclear technology and knowledge, but with a constraint not to pursue nuclear weapons that may be used to destroy others was signed. With that, Iran has rejoined the family of nations of the world that can enjoy technology, technological innovations and the wealth that it has, being the third largest reservoir of hydrocarbons commonly called crude oil in the world. Iran is now back in the fold, courtesy of President Obama. President Obama comes to Kenya as one of our own. He is an American President, but with Kenyan roots and descent. Before he became President, he visited Kenya as a Senator. Yours truly here was at hand then as Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs to receive him at the airport and host him. When he was sworn in as a Senator, President Kibaki sent me to go and attend the event. I was privileged to do that. When he was sworn in as the first black President of USA, President Kibaki again sent me to USA. I led a delegation that included Sen. (Prof.) Anyang'-Nyong'o and several other senior colleagues. I was a key speaker at one of the caucuses. I spoke in terms of the value of appreciating a human being not because of his pigment, but because of the content of his brain and character as Martin Luther King said. 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."
}