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{
    "id": 633030,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/633030/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 468,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Midiwo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 184,
        "legal_name": "Washington Jakoyo Midiwo",
        "slug": "jakoyo-midiwo"
    },
    "content": "The Ugandan President is on record saying that the rock belongs to Kenyans and the water belongs to him. Whatever that means, why is he shooting Kenyans on the rock? A few days ago, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials who went there to register voters were arrested by Uganda policemen. The nation should know that the nearest landmass to Migingo in Uganda takes eight hours to reach on a motorboat. For Ugandans to reach Migingo, which is just offshore from Muhuru Bay, they have to come through Busia. You realise this happens in these areas every time we are counting down to our general elections. I was here during the Post-Election Violence (PEV) and in Mathare, we picked up spent cartridges with imprints of the Ugandan Government. Until today, nobody has said anything. My constituency is near the Ugandan border and in Yala, Madeya and northern part of Gem, Ugandan soldiers participated in killing my people during the PEV. What else do we have to do for Kenya Government to protect the Luhyas and Luos sharing a border with Ugandans? In Bondo Constituency, over the last few years, Ugandan soldiers used to come at night by boat and raid shops. At first, they were only interested in cigarettes, but they became more corrupt and started taking money and robbing people on the streets. Because they are armed, we do not have a way of guarding ourselves against them. The Government of Kenya cannot just sit and watch an external aggressor, a neighbour, whose appetite for war we cannot control. What is the role of the Kenyan military? Why did we go to Somalia? We went to Somalia to safeguard our frontiers. Why is Lake Victoria not part of our frontiers? In the last 10 days or so, I said that we have misplaced priorities. I was in Malindi last week and many Members were also there. What is the military doing in internal affairs? Why would you deploy the Kenya Army in a by-election in Malindi yet people are being killed in Migingo? Why would you violate your own Constitution in so many ways that you let foreigners kill your people and have your own people fight your people? This is how governments get impeached. As a leader from that region, I have no choice, but to tell my people to defend themselves. We are taxpayers. The six per cent of Lake Victoria that we own, as Kenya, is the third largest taxpayer to the Exchequer. My people must enjoy it in peace. The Chief of General Staff, the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and the President, who is the Commander-In-Chief, cannot sit back and ignore this aggression. In the last couple of days, we have heard noise about a gun owned by Hon. Joho. I thought the Government only owns the licence and people buy guns from licensed shops. Is that to divert attention as our people are being killed? What is the Government doing? They are killing people from within our borders. Hon. Nkaissery is saying Joho is mentally unfit. In my view, he sounds more mentally unfit than Joho. This is because people are dying. When your own police officer is shot by somebody eight hours away from their country, the least you can do is to apprehend the aggressor. What are we doing? Uganda needs Kenya. If this Government does not want to deal with Uganda, we are going to question the free passage of their goods to Uganda. There is no way we can have their lorries spoil our roads and get fuel from Kisumu and our people are dying. I can tell you for free that we would rather die than be killed by a neighbour. We would rather let them finish us. It cannot keep on happening. If the Government of Kenya cannot protect us, we are going to protect ourselves. I encourage the Government of Kenya to diplomatically tell Uganda or go to war like in Somalia. Instead of the Army fighting in Somalia, they are just selling charcoal. The military is trading in charcoal and sugar, which is still affecting the same people. If they cannot do it, we have no choice as the people’s leaders, but to tell our people to get ready. 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."
}