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{
    "id": 645976,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/645976/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
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    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "However, having agreed that population should get the highest weighting of a whopping 45 per cent, let me talk to the national Parliament and urge them to be aware that, population will now be viewed beyond just the desire to have many people voting in your county for you, voting from your community or in your constituency. People have been emphasizing the importance of population purely because of politics; voters. People will now increasingly focus on population because the bigger the number of people a county has, the more the resources they will get. It is a good thing but it has inherent dangers to the extent that if we are not careful, during the census of 2019, we will be lucky if the census will not be tampered with. There will be an attempt for some people to try and increase the number of people in their counties so as to enable them access more resources. Many people do not talk about it but the last census of 2009 was actually contested. The matter is still in court. Surprisingly, the rate at which the population grew in five former districts in this country was not consistent with the demographic dynamics of population growth. I am, therefore, afraid that unless we will be alert, counties that have communities across the border namely; Somali in Kenya and Somalia; Luhyas in Kenya and Uganda; Tesos in Kenya and Uganda; Maasais in Kenya and Tanzania; and Luos in Kenya and Tanzania, will count their people at home and also include in their figures the population of their cousins in the neighbouring country so as to have more resources. I call upon Senators from the communities that I have stated – if we truly want to live up to the principle of patriotism –you should be the first to insist that Somalis of Somalia should never be counted as if they are Somalis of Kenya; the Luhyas of Uganda should never be counted as Luhyas of Kenya. Even the Maasais, my good neighbours, friends and relatives of Arusha. If we do not do this, we will end up walking the path that is in Nigeria. Because of devolution, Nigerians have been unable to agree on the census. This is because every ethnic community wants to claim that they have increased at a higher rate than scientifically permissible. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me speak, in support of this formula, to the issue of corruption. It is true, as the Senate Majority Leader has said, we have now opened 47 new centres where the practice of corruption is being done on a very large scale. It is, regrettably, similar to what happens in the national Government in Nairobi. I want to go down on record for saying that if God gives me a long life, then my greatest regret about the 11th Parliament – this Senate of ours – is that we failed on two fronts of corruption. We failed the people of Embu County when we failed to conclusively get Governor Wambora out of court. What brought him was nothing other than corruption."
}