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{
    "id": 772623,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/772623/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 58,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "February 13, 2018 SENATEDEBATES 11 Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "basis of drilling a dam here or there, but that will address the provision of water to our people because it has now reached an emergency level. Year in, year out, we experience drought. With regard to this issue, we cannot sit pretty and hope that everything will happen by God’s grace. This is an issue we need to address ourselves to before it is too late. Secondly, I speak with a heavy heart because what I see around is that this country is about to split. I qualify as an elder to say so. When an elder sees things splitting, he needs to caution because we are driving this nation is to a point of no return. I believe in cautious manner, we should sit down and reason together. God himself said: “Come, let us reason together.” He is the Almighty God. We mortal beings can also take the same direction by living what the Bible, the Quran or any other religious book says. This is because we cannot continue sitting pretty when this nation is burning. Some of us who had little experience knew what had happened before the Serena talks. We were there with Sen. James Orengo, our current Deputy President, the late Kilonzo Mutula Snr. and others. The events that led up to the promulgation of the new Constitution 2010 were that certain fundamental rights of people had been tampered with. Admittedly, I was on the side of Government. When that issue came to the table, the Agenda Four was nothing, but how to be able to make this country governable; where everybody enjoys equal treatment in every corner and in every direction. What I see today is completely the opposite of the Agenda Four that we so animatedly deliberated and agreed upon on what should be our normal conduct; whether in the Executive, Judiciary or in Parliament, for that matter, in this Senate. I am pleading for reason. Let us bring back our reason, sit down and discuss for posterity. If we do not do so, we can easily burn this country where it is. I know, for instance, that a passport is a primary document for any citizen. To withhold the passport of anybody and yet in this House people are expected to transact business within and without this country, we are infringing directly on the fundamental rights of those people who voted us. We should honour that. There may be issues, but they can be discussed around a table. I have never said at any moment that everything is perfect. However, I am sure when we sit down together, we can reason together. There will be Bills that some of us would want to bring before this House. All I am looking forward to is to discuss them in a bipartisan manner and be able to treat each"
}