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{
    "id": 783000,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/783000/?format=api",
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    "content": "controversy in the last Senate that there was a lot of push and pull about who should fly a flag. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, that is the reason I have said that the flag has been abused because of the contention raised by the various Senators including Sen. Wako. If the Chief Justice of Kenya can fly a flag, then the Deputy Chief Justice who acts as the Chief Justice in the absence of the Chief Justice should fly a flag. Similarly, there is no reason why the Speaker of the Senate should fly a flag and the Deputy Speaker of the Senate does not fly a flag. Strictly speaking, in law they enjoy the same position. However, I am glad. Sen. Murkomen contributed and I have done a research to help me respond to the issues raised by Sen. M. Kajwang’. The initial proposal by the late Tom Mboya was not to restrict the flying of the national flag by the citizenry. The restriction was introduced by the late Hon. Mbiyu Koinange from special instructions issued by the Cabinet. That is where we went wrong. We restricted flags to be used by a certain category of people. Sen. Wako was our Attorney-General for 27 years. When I was in high school, I used to admire his Mercedes Benz which had a flag. I do not know why he wants to fly a flag now. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it does not make sense that the Executive flies a flag as if they enjoy some supernatural powers above any other citizen. To make the point and drive it home, would it not be nice to drive in the cities in Kisumu, Lamu, Moyale on boats and bodabodas where everybody flies the correct flag with so much pride? That would make this country feel great. I am happy about the comments made by Sen. Sakaja when we were speaking to the group that was talking to us about terrorism. We said: “How can we actually think that one day we are going to fight an aggressor when the country is so divided?” I said that the drafters of this Constitution thought that the symbol of national unity should be the Presidency. I said the presidency has split this country so much, that you wonder why all of us are clamouring for it. Be that as it may, I long for the day that every Kenyan will be able to fly the flag as Sen. Olekina says. I am not certain about the flag touching the ground. This is because the way they do it on official premises sometimes the flags end up all over the ground and doing things that are not allowed. However, to imagine that somebody sitting in an office as a Cabinet Secretary (CS) must authorise a commercial premise to fly a flag is an anathema to the unity of this country. Lastly, I thank all my colleagues who participated in this. However, before I finish, I came across some of the issues that led to the prohibitions introduced in 1964 to this Bill on flying of flags. There were concerns about how many flags we had in the country and that people would fly flags in other places that are not necessary. In my research, I found that there was fear that those people who were opposed to independence would fly flags even in places like toilets. Those inhibitions no longer exist since we are one. The “handshake” and others have proved that we are so, irrespective of our political differences. I mentioned yesterday that the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) and the Kenya African National Union (KANU) agreed on the colours of the flag. Someone 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."
}