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{
    "id": 99810,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/99810/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 344,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wamalwa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 148,
        "legal_name": "Eugene Ludovic Wamalwa",
        "slug": "eugene-wamalwa"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also wish to join my colleagues in supporting the recommendations of the departmental Committee on Education under the very able leadership of Mr. Koech. The fact that we have so many Members of this House who were students at Kenyatta University tells you how important this institution is and its contribution to this nation. Amb. Affey talked very nostalgically about this institution, and he did not want anything bad to be said about it. But I do not think that is the issue. Kenyatta University is not on trial here. What reached this House was disturbing news that one student had been killed in a riot and property worth over Kshs112 million had gone up in smoke. This was disturbing news and we needed, as a House, to find out exactly what had happened at Kenyatta University and the cause of the riot. I do commend the committee for the good work they have done in giving us a very elaborate report that has dissected the problem and made recommendations on the necessary remedial measures that must be put in place to deal with the problems that arose and that are likely to also arise in future. We also had similar problems at the University of Nairobi, and the students were sent away when they had the SONU elections. At Kenyatta University, we are told there had been KUSA elections. The atmosphere was still charged on campus when this happened, and there were registration deadlines. The situation built up and exploded. This is what happened. As a nation, we did host a conference that looked at the problems that we are facing. That conference came up with two issues that stand in the way of the Kenyan dream. They said that we have the twin evils of tribalism and corruption. This is what bedevils Kenya and stands in the way of the Kenyan dream. Looking at this report, you will realize that these twin evils have permeated every level of our society, including our institutions of higher learning. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is the truth that, indeed, whenever we have elections in this country we have resolved our differences through violence. It happened in 1992, 1997 and 2008. Whenever we have had elections, we have won our seats through bribery and through using a lot of money. Those that we use as agents during the polling are mostly university students. When they hold their elections on campuses, we have seen them approaching politicians asking for money. Politicians have been giving money generously, particularly on the basis of party affiliations and tribes. When you see a student leader from the Luo or Luhya community running, you would find that each would go to Luhya MPs or Luo MPs for backing. As we are doing this, we are, indeed, corrupting these minds. I believe universities are Export Processing Zones (EPZs) where we package what should be the finest of our society and we export outside into the society and into the international community. When we export products that have been seasoned in tribalism, they know that to become a leader, you must be supported by your tribe. To become a leader, you must get money to buy fellow students to be elected. When they get out, this is what they would be doing. These are the leaders that we are grooming for the future of this nation."
}