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"id": 995062,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
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"speaker": {
"id": 13131,
"legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
"slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
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"content": "I brought this Statement to the House when demolitions happened in Kariobangi. We had a meeting with 17 Members of National Assembly, nominated Senators, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, CS, Ministry of Water & Sanitization and Irrigation because that was the issue and the CS, Ministry of Health. In that meeting, we agreed that even where there is a credible claim, during the time of this pandemic, all of the demolitions to be halted. The CS, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government made an announcement and said that we will give some support. Sometimes I wonder whether police officers who brutalize Kenyans have lost their heart. Do the people who sit in leadership positions; whether it is a governor or CS who gives an order that children and families be left out in the cold have a heart? Some things do not even need legislation; it is just humanity; it is the heart. Madam Temporary Speaker, when you are kicking somebody out of their house or where they stay, even if they are there illegally; does it not occur to you that one day that could be done to you? In fact, even as we go to reclaim a lot of land that has been previously grabbed, many of these people are not even beneficiaries; they are second, third or fourth buyers or they are renting out those places. The primary beneficiaries who might have benefited from that illegality got their money a long time ago and they are the ones who need to be prosecuted. I remember this problem in Westlands Market, when you are removing people because there is a road that needs to be done; do you still move them before you get another place to relocate them? I remember an old woman who was crying. I remember a photo in my Facebook where I am hugging her, because she remembers me since the time when I was six years old; my mother used to take me around that market and for the first time she has no place to go. You demolish and chase them, but you know in two or three months, construction does not begin. Is it not just common sense to say that, first, let us relocate these people by identifying where they will go to because they are engaged in economic activities and then after that, you can begin the construction? Where will humanity and the heart come from? There is no Motion that this House can pass to give people a heart. There is no Bill; we cannot call it the Senate Heart Bill or Humanity (Amendment) Bill (2020). We just need to go back to our oneness as Kenyans where a long time ago; it is not even a long time ago because I am young, it is just the other day, when we used to have a heart for each other; where we would go to our neighbors to borrow salt. Today we are completely reaching a point where people become machines after getting offices. I am glad that the Chairman of the Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources took up this matter. This coming Thursday we will be going to the ground with the CSs to look at those people in the eye so that CS Matiang’i, CS Sicily, the regional commissioner can come and tell them that this is why you are out in the rain during the COVID-19 pandemic. These people were evicted 2.3 kilometres away from that site and where now the pandemic has gone crazy. Some of them wanted to go home, we had to organize for the passes and buses for them to be allowed to pass. Some of them wanted to go to their rural homes to stay there. 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."
}