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{
    "id": 600390,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/600390/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 122,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kang’ata",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1826,
        "legal_name": "Irungu Kang'ata",
        "slug": "irungu-kangata"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Allow me to urge Hon. Members to reject this Bill. The reason I am asking Hon. Members to reject this Bill is not because I do not like traditions. In fact, I am one of those people who deem themselves as traditionalist. I do not have an English name, I listen to the Roots and cultural music. So, I am very traditional. However, let us be pragmatic. Let us not look at things from a sentimental point of view. I can assure you that our African culture then and even now was not strong. The reason why the white man came and conquered us was purely because we were weak and our cultures were not helping us to be strong. So, it makes sense for us to run away from them as soon as possible. Otherwise, why is it that all Islamic countries that were colonised by the white man never lost their culture? Look at Egypt and the whole of Africa and the Middle East, they never lost their culture. That tells you that the Islamic culture is a strong one. Here in Africa, 60 years of interaction with the Mzungu caused us to lose our culture. So, that tells that our culture was fake. Therefore, we should not be trying to revive something that is dead. So, let us be pragmatic. A good example is Singapore where 75 per cent of its inhabitants are Chinese. When the first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew assumed power, he was in a dilemma. He did not know whether to look to the West or China. Of course, the people were more inclined to China because they were of Chinese descendants. However, he was so pragmatic. He realised that China then being a poor country would not take them far. He told his people: “Let us go to the West and get rich” and they are now rich. My point is that looking backwards to our grandfathers is going to make this country poorer. Be pragmatic my people and look to where people are progressing. That is the reality of life. There is a proposal that we should give intellectual property rights to some things, for instance, a kiondo. How can you give intellectual property to a community? If kiondo is for the Kikuyu, who is going to exploit it? When the kiondo is sold, is it going to benefit me as a Kikuyu? When you talk about the Kamba carvings, who is going to register a Kamba intellectual property? How are you going to exploit that one? It does not make sense. It must be something that accrues to an individual and not a community. This is sentimentalism. Let us reject this Bill, become rational and the whole idea is that we adopt the culture of a winning person. I am not saying that we adopt the Western culture. Presently, the people who are about to be rich are the Chinese. I wish we were told to adopt the Chinese culture. It is the next super power. Therefore, my dear sisters, let us forget our cultures because we lost it. I can bet with my life that in the next 20 years, there will be no person who will be speaking Kikuyu or Kamba. We shall be speaking Chinese or the new super power’s language which will be there .So, we should be strategic and look at the emerging super power and join them, and then our people will 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."
}