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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the events that happened in Kakamega marked a very important turn in my political career. However, it was marred by acts of hooligans organized by persons known to the authorities. On the eve of the day, the 2nd April, 2016, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale spent the whole day warding off hooligans who kept on invading Masinde Muliro Gardens to stop him from making the arrangements for the day. They are well known. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on the material day, a militia was assembled at a school called Muslim Primary School and dressed to come and attack the event. They were also warded off by youths. We had notified the authorities of this big event and they knew the venue. We even paid the County Government of Kakamega Kshs100,000 to book the venue, which they accepted and receipted. I even told the governor that as a principal in the CORD, he should not have charged me to use a monumental garden for an event of that nature, but we paid. They kept on issuing threats that we will not get into Kakamega. It is not true that there were no ODM Members who attended. Sen. Ong’era addressed the gathering. Other Members, included hon. (Dr.) Kibunguchi, Sen. Moses Kajwang, our distinguished colleague from Homa Bay, Gov. (Dr.) Evans Kidero, the Governor of Nairobi, hon. Lisamula of Shinyalu, the host Member, hon. Otaro and many others. Mr. Speaker, Sir, allow me to join the condemnation of the culture of violence. People who perpetrate violence are criminals, pure and simple, and they must be dealt with as such. That is the only way we will stamp out thuggery and hooliganism from our political landscape. The police knew that there were imminent attacks on the meeting because reports were given to them. At the time the teargas was lobbed at the gathering – for those of us who saw it on television and in the newspapers – there was a mammoth crowd of women, children and youth. Above all, the patriarch of the Luhya nation, Mzee J. D. Otiende, who was in the Independence Cabinet of this country and is 99 years old, suffered a deep cut on his head. Mzee Burudi Nabwera, a former Minister in the Government of the Republic of Kenya, suffered an injury. A Member of the County Assembly (MCA) from Siaya, who is also a Member of FORD-Kenya, called Rosemary Awino broke her leg and is now in the hospital; not to mention the distinguished Sen. Njoroge in his physical state. How did the hooligans lay their hands on the teargas canisters, which are security gadgets? I have since learnt from senior police officers that a rogue policeman in Kakamega sold the three canisters to the perpetrators of this event. I have been reliably informed that the rogue policeman has been arrested. I hope he will be prosecuted. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the first teargas canister landed right on the podium, in front of Gov. Kidero and Sen. Hassan. The second one was lobbed and landed on the podium between Sen. Njoroge and Mzee Nabwera. The third one landed between my legs; I have never felt such a painful experience. However, let us not apportion blame; I take this as a criminal act. My distinguished colleagues and brothers in the CORD fraternity, hon. Raila Odinga, Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka and I, held a meeting on Tuesday last week. We discussed and found a good working formula on how to move forward. Whoever was behind this, whether it was a governor, or a Member of Parliament, he or she is not above the law. The law must take its course. 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"
}