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{
    "id": 670676,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/670676/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 277,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mirenga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1943,
        "legal_name": "Ken Obura Mirenga",
        "slug": "ken-obura-mirenga"
    },
    "content": "chance to correct the ills in the electoral management in Kenya, but because this process is going to avert what was obviously an impending national catastrophe. We all witnessed the emotive debates on matters IEBC. We all watched the polarizing political rallies across the country. We all witnessed mass action resulting in the loss of innocent lives of Kenyans, some of who had very young families. This affected my constituency and my heart bleeds for them. We also watched the destruction of property and looting of businesses of innocent hardworking Kenyans. Those people have not recovered and they may never recover from those loses. So, this Motion is extremely important for me and requires political maturity from us. As a House and as the country’s representative body, we must come together from the two coalitions and ensure that we face this serious matter of national importance because if we ignore it, the consequences are too grave. I want to also urge my colleagues in this House and in the Senate, the governors and MCAs that, at all times, we should always put the interest of this country before the interest of our individual parties and those of our party leaders in order for us to advance the public good. I say this because I have watched my colleagues go to tyrannical extremes in the name of defending their parties and their political party leaders when the truth is that they are merely scrambling for automatic party nomination certificates, come next year. I do not have to support the obvious. Why should I support the obvious when we know how some people have been behaving because next year we have elections and everybody is positioning themselves for those party nomination certificates? So, I support the formation of this Select Committee knowing very well that the lifeline of any democracy lies in a functional electoral management body and system that can guarantee fairness or, at least, conditions that would spell fairness in the next polls. Before I conclude, I would like to tell Kenyans that leaders of CORD and Jubilee are not enemies. They have no reason to be enemies. Just the other day, we saw Hon. Moses Kuria having lunch with my party leader, Hon. Raila Odinga. They were chatting and happy with each other, but on the ground, people are fighting. Kenyans must understand that political leaders are friends and most times, they differ on their political parties’ interests and a few times, on ideologies. As we get to the next elections, those who will be seeking elective positions and those who will be helping their political parties and party leaders to look for votes, should not go beyond borders to incite Kenyans. Kenyans are peace loving, law abiding and there is no need to incite them when we know that we are great friends amongst ourselves. Next year, we should not elect leaders based on where they come from, but we should look at their policies and programmes. We should elect leaders on a platform of ideas and policies rather than electing tribesmen or clansmen."
}