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{
    "id": 668053,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/668053/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 264,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Abdi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 398,
        "legal_name": "Yusuf Hassan Abdi",
        "slug": "yusuf-hassan-abdi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I am grateful and delighted by the contribution of Members in support of this important Motion. I am touched. I would particularly like to highlight Mheshimiwa Patrick Wangamati as one of our unsung heroes who contributed to this debate. I would like to emphasise the fact that a country without a history is not a country. A country without heroes is not a country. We need to energise and continue to inspire our young people by putting emphasis on important places like Kamukunji. In many countries where I have lived, there are signposts directing you to monuments, places, houses, streets and sites that commemorate and honour the people who fought and shed blood for the struggles of those countries. One of the things I find in Kenya is that we celebrate and protect imperial and colonial projects. There are so many places with tourist attractions. We do not acknowledge, support, protect, celebrate and honour our freedom projects. This is the time to support our freedom projects. Kamukunji is a fundamental and central site to the history of our struggle. This Motion comes at a time when we are approaching 7th July. The 7th July, 2016 will be the 16th Anniversary of the major Saba Saba rally that brought down the repressive Moi KANU dictatorship. That was the time our people said enough was enough and that they will not accept dictatorship. We then started the journey to the democracy that we enjoy today. Therefore, I would like to reply with thanks. There were two suggestions that I would like to take up. One is to set up a committee to specifically look at how we can realise Kamukunji as a national monument, consisting of Members. I would like to work on that. The second suggestion was that we visit Kamukunji Grounds as Members of Parliament, so that we agree on substantive recommendations to be made to the Government. Most importantly, we should proceed to pass this Motion and declare Kamukunji Grounds a protected national monument. I would like us to proceed with the remembrance that a hero is a person who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. We have many such heroes in this country starting from Harry Thuku and Makhan Singh, the founders of our trade union movement. I am very happy to see unity in the diversity of this House in acknowledging that struggle regardless of the race, ethnicity or party lines. We also had people like Jomo Kenyatta, Oginga Odinga, Tom Mboya and Pio Gama Pinto. Lately, we had Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, James Orengo, Koigi wa Wamwere, Martin Shikuku, Masinde Muliro, Kijana Wamalwa, among others. All these people played an important role in our struggle. We are able to speak as we want. Freedom of speech, association, forming political parties and all the things that we today take for granted should not be forgotten by the current and future generations. That would make it a place of heritage. Not only just an open ground, but also a place where one can read the history of the people who took part in the struggles in terms of the speeches they made to inspire us to rise against colonialism and dictatorship to become the free country that we are today. I would like to thank all those who have been with us here. They have made it possible. Not a single dissent has been expressed on the Motion seeking to declare Kamukunji Grounds a national monument. Thank you. 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."
}