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{
    "id": 687761,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/687761/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 526,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, there is no problem whatsoever. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is a successor in title to the other. The distinguished Senator for Elgeyo Marakwet knows the facts that I am talking about. Let me conclude by saying that from my position of leadership, I encourage both Houses of Parliament to pass this Report and move on to deal with the Bills both on election offences and on the amendment of the Elections Act. But more importantly, it is very critical that we all embrace this reform process so that there are no people feeling they have lost or won. I want to stand here and defend Sen. Orengo and the entire team because I have heard some people alleging that Sen. Orengo and his team gave in too much. Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga and I have spoken publicly in full support and confidence in the product of this process and so has President Uhuru Kenyatta. Finally, we came to where we are, not because we all of a sudden discovered our sanity but because there was interlocutors. Allow me to salute the leaders of various churches led by Bishop Korir of Eldoret, Canon Karanja of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Bishop Okoth of Kisumu, Bishop Obanyi of Kakamega, Bishop Kilioba of the Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), Bishop Rotich of the Army and the leaders of the Muslim community. All these people shuttled between the leadership of CORD and Jubilee in the midst of the demonstrations that we had. Allow me to also salute the diplomatic community, more particularly, the American ambassador Robert Godec and his British counterpart who shuttled between Jubilee and CORD consistently and tirelessly to make things happen. More importantly Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to salute the Kenyans who lost their lives to bring sanity to the leadership of this country. There are people who are six feet deep and those who are still in hospital. They were crippled and suffered serious injuries because they wanted the country to find a direction of sanity that can take us to the next elections without the risk of a conflict. Those people sacrificed, including their own lives. Allow me to salute the young men and women who, on hungry stomachs, braced the brutality of Maj-Gen.(rtd) Nkaisserry and his policemen on the streets of Nairobi; firing at them with water cannons, tossing teargas at them as if they are throwing cakes at children and boasting on television in the evening that “ kama hawaogi nyumbaninitawaosha tena.” Kenyans made a sacrifice to make a point. Indeed, without those sacrifices, I can say without any fear of contradiction that we would never have formed the Joint Select committee to sit and bring what they have brought. Allow me to salute people who at the beginning sounded obstinate and belligerent - they were digging in saying ‘never, no retreat no surrender’ - but came back and agreed to serve in this Committee. They turned out to be great negotiators and did a good job. 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."
}