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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kitutu Chache North, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Jimmy Angwenyi",
"speaker": {
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"legal_name": "Jimmy Nuru Ondieki Angwenyi",
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me a chance to contribute to this very important Bill. This Bill should have been brought to this House 10 years ago. Maybe you and I would have benefited when we were kicked out of this House. You and I have been former MPs. We have experienced what one goes through as a former MP. Actually, you are not even a former MP; you are called an ex-MP for people to degrade you. During those days, those patriots served this country at very low wages. I remember the first time I came to Parliament the salary of an MP was Kshs23,000 per month. We used to go to the Office of the President to queue so that we can be paid cash. Apparently, banks were not very effective at that time. We used to queue. Finally, MPs were determined to improve their welfare and that is how they established the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). The Speaker was key. I am not praising you because you gave me a chance to speak. He played a very key role for us to achieve the PSC as a leader in Kenya African National Union (KANU). In those days, whatever KANU said was what would happen in this country. Somebody referred to those days and said that if you brought a Private Members’ Bill, you were to pay from your own pocket. I remember when Hon. (Eng.) Karue brought a Bill on the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), he asked me to second it. I did not know I would get into trouble. I seconded the Motion first. When we were developing the Bill, we had to fork out money from our own pockets to have that Bill prepared and presented to Parliament. Although at that time the President could not assent to it, the next President assented to it and we got the CDF which we enjoy today. I experienced part of it. During those days, MPs just worked as patriots of this country. Let us support this Bill which has been discussed by the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, knowing very well that one day in 2022, 2027 or whatever time if you stay here as long as I and the Speaker have, you will need it. Maybe it could even be very soon because 70 per cent of us could be kicked out during the 2022 elections. The remaining ones will be eligible for being sent out during the next elections. Let us provide for ourselves and our people who have served this country with patriotism. There are always people who say that MPs have saved themselves. There was one time when we were attacked that we had given ourselves very huge house allowances and nobody defended us. I told my constituents who are professionals that they ask me to contribute money to build a church and towards a bill for a person who has been in the hospital for two months, but when we were attacked, nobody came to our defence. They said that they were sorry and they made a mistake. They told me that I should remind them next time."
}