Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 702672,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/702672/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mati",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2469,
        "legal_name": "G.J. Munuve Mati",
        "slug": "gj-munuve-mati"
    },
    "content": "The women of this country have struggled very hard. I have been to almost every corner of this world and I have not seen many countries, especially the donors that push this agenda, pushing for this. I was in the United Kingdom (UK) for their elections. I have virtually been everywhere and have not seen any of those Governments pushing their own legislatures to increase the number of women in their parliaments. Let us look at the numbers right now. We have the highest number of women in this august House since Independence in 1963. Let us give accolades and credence to the Kenyan people because we have more women than we have ever had before. I liked the contribution by my sister, who is now sitting in the Chair who has said that they will roll up their sleeves and make sure that they bring more women into this House by removing men. I am quite happy with that because that is the only way to go. This economy cannot sustain an extra Member of Parliament. We have the maximum number. I would not mind it if the number of constituencies was decreased from the current figure so as to deliver more services to the Kenyan people. The Kenyan taxpayer is groaning. They are groaning because the middle-class is disappearing under the heavy weight of the cost of living and taxation. Do we want to tax them some more because of gender-balance? Absolutely not. I speak for the Kenyan worker, the peasant and the poor student who has to get an education. I find it difficult. With a heavy heart, I have no choice, but to support the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs Bill because under the circumstances, I would not find a solution. This country has a problem. We have a situation where our middle class is disappearing very fast. We have the top layer of people who live well and a middle-class which is so purely by name. It does not exist. We have the rich and the poor. I have a problem if we will increase the numbers of people earning Kshs1 million plus per month, not by one or two, but by 90 plus. That is Kshs90 million plus every month. My constituency would kneel down and kiss anybody’s feet who can give us Kshs90 million to get an extra borehole, construct our first kilometre of tarmac, get 10 per cent of our population to access clean water and construct classrooms for our children who study under trees. That is why I am talking about the class character of this debate. About 40 out of 210 schools in my constituency have at, least one, two or three classes sitting under trees or in very difficult conditions in grass-thatched classes. Last week, two of the schools in my constituency collapsed. In one case, 12 children were seriously hurt. There was even no hospital to take them and I took them to Embu. That is happening in the Republic of Kenya. Can you tell them that gender is much more important, so that they continue sitting on stones and studying under trees? Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you are my friend. I am a friend of women. I respect women’s rights. At one time, I was even a crusader. However, I am persuaded to vote with the poor on this matter, not because of any other reason, but because Kenyans need more and better services. Obtaining more funds and good living conditions for ourselves, massaging our rights and egos so that we can have 500 people driving Mercedes Benzes is not something that I will support. As a matter of fact, it is something that could make me very quickly lose a seat that I cherish so much and would wish to come back to this House. I was a Member of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs before I was removed by people that I will not talk about. The class character of this struggle will show that middle-class women hired women from Mathare and Kibera, paid them Kshs2,000 by their own confession, and brought them here to fight for the right to have more seats for women. Is there a Kibera or Mathare woman who was paid Kshs1,000 who is now waiting to come to this august House? Let us look at the class dimensions of this struggle and the living conditions of 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."
}