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{
"id": 797124,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/797124/?format=api",
"text_counter": 276,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 376,
"legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
"slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
},
"content": "( b ) a traditional community that, out of a need or desire to preserve its unique culture and identity from assimilation, has remained outside the integrated social and economic life of Kenya as a whole...” We are talking about the minority communities. Maybe I would put the Maasai there. “( c ) an indigenous community that has retained and maintained a traditional lifestyle and livelihood based on a hunter or gatherer economy; or ( d ) pastoral persons and communities, whether they are— (i) nomadic; or (ii) a settled community that, because of its relative geographic isolation, has experienced only marginal participation in the integrated social and economic life of Kenya as a whole. When we pick the 14 counties, something which is not constitutional, we are further marginalising areas that have been marginalised. I sat in the Parliamentary Select Committee and so, I have the legislative history. I know that when we are discussing this, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the President of the country and Martha Karua, understand it. When we came to this, and I was complaining about areas in my constituency called Remba Island, Ringiti Island, Sikri Island and Sukru Island, they told us that when the Katiba passes, they were going to… The Member was there, he can prove this. I remember the President telling us at that time that when the Bill passes, we will get boats if boats were what we had. As we speak, several years after the Constitution, there are no boats to Remba and Ringiti islands. The first ever school that was built in Sikri Island since the advent of man on earth was done by me. The school has only one class. Hopefully, I am going to do many other classes. I do not know what you can consider marginalisation if in this era and time, we still have islands without schools. If I go to Mfangano Island, on the plateau, I remember some people saying “why are you not wearing a helmet.” One day, I posted a photo of me travelling through the plateau on a motorbike. Those are luxuries that people in Nairobi can talk about. In my area, even affording that motorbike is a luxury. I think Members need to visit each other’s constituencies so that we understand what marginalisation is. When I go up the plateau, I walk for more than one hour. There are areas you cannot reach even with a motorbike. I went to a place called Mawanga Beach Primary School and they do not have even a class. The teacher stays in the staff room, which is also his house. It is class one, two and three in one school. Why? Because even the money I am given from the NG-CDF is not enough to deal with the classrooms that I have in Mbita Constituency, which is now Suba North Constituency. I support the areas that are marginalised like Mandera and Garissa. But we must take into cognisance that there are other areas in the country that have also been marginalised, like my constituency. Unless we are talking about issues that are pertinent and touch our lives, we do not want to go the wrong way. I have just come back from Rwanda and Germany. I said at the funeral service of my good friend and colleague, Hon. Grace Kipchoim, that I want to thank this country. I thank even the President for what he talked about yesterday, namely, the ‘handshake’ and the apology that he gave to this country. But unless we are genuine and honest, as a leadership, and address the issues that touch this country, we will one day go the Rwanda way. Let us stop playing politics with this country. Let us be genuine about the things that touch Kenya. Many people have been asking me why I am quiet. When you see me quiet, it is because there are things that are touching me at a very personal level. I am a politician, yes, but, I am also a human being. I am a woman. I am human."
}