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{
    "id": 614279,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/614279/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 124,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Kajuju",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 840,
        "legal_name": "Florence Kajuju",
        "slug": "florence-kajuju"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, I rise to second the Motion and strongly support the national values and principles of governance that have been properly articulated in this Sessional Paper. This is good guidance that the Government is giving to Kenyans to show them the way forward for this country. Time has come for the President to tell us how we should move and for Kenyans to pick it up and ensure that it is inculcated in our day-to-day life. I would like to tell hon. Members that this is not a Paper that just came out of the blues. This Paper is a result of a process which was started way back in 2011. A steering committee and taskforce were formed. The then Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs ensured that those organs were able to bring on board the issues of national values and principles of governance. There was a lot of public participation because the steering committee and the taskforce then wanted to know from Kenyans the best way to ensure that we implement Article 10 of the Constitution that Kenyans clearly stated that they wanted to live by in 2010. Several values have been put in the Constitution. We are now trying to ensure that Kenyans understand and implement them through this Sessional Paper. There was a time when we used to have a Government spokesman who had this vision for Kenya. One of the phrases that the Governor of Machakos County – who was then the Government Spokesman – tried to popularise is “ Najivunia kuwa Mkenya ”. Every time I spoke to people then, they would say “ Najivunia kuwa Mkenya .” That is what this Sessional Paper is trying to do. It is trying to tell Kenyans that time has come for us, as a people, to be proud of our country. The reason as to why we have to be proud of our country, especially now that we are talking about devolution, is that we have seen situations where our current county leaderships have been talking of 47 governments and one main Government. In other words, they are saying that we have 47 governments and a national Government. We cannot have 48 governments in Kenya. We are people who are guided and presided over by the President, who was elected by the people of Kenya. Hon. Speaker, it is going to be a defeatist attitude if the people of Kenya think about their counties and bring about disintegration within this country. Instead, we should use our strength through the county governments to bring about integration within the communities, regional situations that we find ourselves in and within the national Government. Even as I think about Meru County as my county of birth, I must be able to say that I belong to Kenya. The Mover of this Motion has clearly stated that even when we go out of this country, I should not go there and think about myself as a Meru. I should speak about the Kenyan that I am. That is what has helped the United Republic of Tanzania. Tanzanians think about themselves as Tanzanians. They do not have any tribes and communities. I am praying one time one day, even if it is not during my time but the lifetime of my children, that they will think of themselves as Kenyans. Because we are here, and we are elected as the representatives of the people, it is our time, at least, to show the people the way to go. This Paper clearly seeks to strengthen the institutional 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."
}