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{
    "id": 801190,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/801190/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 102,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ng’ongo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to contribute to the President’s Address to the nation on 2nd May 2018. First of all, I think we all appreciate that this Address was given in compliance to Articles 132 and 240 of the Constitution. As a matter of fact, Article 132 requires the President to address the nation every year, and spell out measures that are being taken to actualise, realise or implement the values and principles as enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution, and also the steps being taken to realise the international obligations or the steps that the country is taking to achieve international obligations. Article 240 of the Constitution gives the President mandate on behalf of the National Security Council, which he chairs, to spell out the steps that are taken to address the security of the country. I appreciate what the President said on 2nd May in terms of bringing cohesion in the country, in terms of promoting patriotism and national unity and in terms of realising justice and the rule of law. I want to specifically address two areas that the President talked about. Number one, the President talked about the unity of the country. I am happy that the President actually publicly… In fact, when the President started his speech, I was a bit worried when he started by thanking the security organs for doing a good job during last year’s elections. I think the President corrected it by going ahead and further to apologise publicly for any mishap or mistakes that could have happened. I take it that when a president of a country apologises, he does not just apologise for himself, but also for state organs which probably could have not have done their work in accordance with the requirement of the law. The other issue that I appreciate is the fact that the President recognised that the coming together which we witnessed on 9th March 2018 between him and Raila Amolo Odinga, who is the leader of the National Super Alliance (NASA) Coalition and also who has been the Prime Minister of this country, means business and they are serious about that unity. This country needed healing and progress. I am also glad that the President mentioned that unity is not equal to unanimity. I want to just be clear that as the Minority Party, there are areas where we will agree with the majority, but there are also instances where definitely we will find our points of departure. However, we will have our departure with decorum. Hon. Speaker, allow me to spend the rest of the time that I have been allocated to address the issue of corruption that is now being discussed in the country. I want to say and put it categorically clear that, as the Minority Party and as the leadership of Parliament, we want to guarantee the President that we will support his fight and the war on corruption. We have previously called upon the leadership of this country to come out and slay this dragon. Hon. Speaker, you will remember when we were in the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and even recently before what has now become popularly known as the “handshake”, we have previously asked the President to lead the war on corruption and demonstrate willingness and the will and zeal and the determination to fight corruption. The President has previously said that he has done his bit and asked us what we expect him to do. We have called upon the President to use the organs which are under his control like the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, the National Intelligence Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions, and that is exactly what he has done. The President has indicated very The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}