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{
    "id": 993580,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/993580/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 384,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Senate Minority Leader (Sen. Orengo)",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "That is how at the end you were elected as the Speaker of the Senate and Sen (Prof.) Kindiki was elected as the Deputy Speaker. I have all my respect for Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki. I have been with him in court, he has addressed the court in my presence, I have read some of his works but at the end of the day, the Constitution of Kenya says Kenya will be a multiparty democracy. The centrality of the party in our democracy cannot be gainsaid. You can go through a lot of provisions of the Constitution. The President of the Republic of Kenya was sponsored by a political party not just two or three members of that party. He had to secure, I think more than 2000 signatures of party members and not registered voters; people who are registered voters and also party members. As we debate this matter, let us place the truth where it lies. Before I go to the reasons I wanted to advance on this particular Motion, there are two issues that I want to bring to the attention of the House. First, the distinguished Senator for Bungoma has sent me a message - and it is on my phone - and he says he supports the position taken by the Minority Coalition which is the NASA Coalition on this matter. Our position is well known. Mr. Speaker, Sir, hear those words Sen. Olekina has spoken in this august Chamber in relation to his party. Imagine if Sen (Prof.) Kindiki on Tuesday after the meeting made such an announcement that ‘I am loyal to my party’, the difference it would have made. I know he would find it very difficult to utter those words and there are many people on the opposite side who would find it difficult to utter those magic words. Therefore, this matter is not as easy as it looks. Today people are citing the Bible, poets, philosophers. Let me also cite one of my favourite poets and playwrights, T.S. Elliot, who is regarded as the greatest poet and playwright of the 20th Century. He got a Nobel peace prize for literature. He said this in one of his works: “The last temptation is the greatest treason; to do the right deed for the wrong reason”. You do the right deed but you do it for the wrong reason. Why am I saying this? The problem in this matter is not Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki. We have said this before and if it is a matter of who stands on matters of principle---. I have heard some Senators talking about issues of principles of yesteryear fighters for democracy. If you look at Motions and Bills which have come to this Senate and the last Senate, and look at how we have voted; those who are today talking about democracy, if I take every Bill, I collected many of the Bills that were passed in the last Senate and this Senate, the Security Law (Amendment) Bills, the Election Law (Amendment) Bills, the issue of Ruaraka land, how did they vote on that day? They talk about democracy everywhere until they lose their positions. How strange is that? I agree on matters of principle you can judge me 100 times but when it comes to a matter of principle, I can tell you that I will never change. These are all politics of power. There are no politics of principle. It is all about power. Why do I say so? The meeting held in State House, look at the people who attended and those who did not. It tells a story which we must be told. Why did some people attend and others did not? It was not an accident that some people attended and some did not. It was choreographed and planned. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}