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{
    "id": 667988,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/667988/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 199,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Makenga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1650,
        "legal_name": "Richard Makenga Katemi",
        "slug": "richard-makenga-katemi"
    },
    "content": "I want to congratulate Hon. Yusuf Hassan for bringing this Motion. A country without history is a country that is on the verge of extinction. Kamukunji Grounds have a rich history where great men and women in this country fought for democracy and human rights in this country. The current situation of Kamukunji Grounds is pathetic. It is for that reason the Member thought it wise that this monument be reclaimed and put in its original state. I remember when the Saba Saba movement descended on that ground, it was a huge crowd and people filled the grounds. Nowadays, even two thousand people cannot be accommodated in that historical ground because it has been grabbed, structures have been built on it and it is defacing the historical ground. We have to retain the so-called Kamukunji Grounds. “Kamukunji” is a very important name. In Parliament we hold informal meetings and we name them “ Kamukunji ”. The word “Kamukunji” should remain. It has a very rich history. I happen to have grown up in that area as a young man and we used to play on Kamukunji Grounds. This does not happen anymore. Nairobi River has been highly polluted and the riparian area has been encroached. If the grounds are rehabilitated, many people will be visiting them and will learn what went on in yester years. Kamukunji Grounds is on a big piece of land that if well managed can attract investors or tourists. As my colleagues alluded, once Kamukunji Grounds is declared a protected monument, pictures of our heroes who descended on the ground should be pinned there. The children who visit Parliament should know that whenever we talk about Kamukunji, we are referring to a rich history of this country. This is a unique ground that needs to be rehabilitated. The Government should move very fast to remove the grabbers who have built informal structures around that area. The place should be beautified. I request the Member for the area to invite some Members to the grounds, so that we can build a very strong case in declaring Kamukunji historical. With those few remarks, I support the Motion."
}