James Orengo

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 611 to 620 of 4273.

• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: The Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations of the 11th Parliament of the Senate operated in a very bipartisan manner. I cannot forget when we went as a delegation to Manila in the Philippines. The late Sen. Haji wanted us to share a meal at the end of every day at his expense. Although Parliament had provided that delegation with everything, he would insist that we go to a restaurant of his choice, which were not just ordinary restaurants, at his expense. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version ... view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: Sen. Haji lived in a very simple way. He had no complications even when he was abroad. Sen. Dullo will remember that the late Sen. Haji always insisted on taking us all to very expensive restaurants; not once or twice. We had a great time on that trip to Philippines because we not only enjoyed the discussions that we had with our counterparts in the Philippines, but seeing the country for what it is and benchmarking. view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, the late Sen. Haji was a peacemaker, contrary to many people who may want to argue otherwise. Whenever one occupies the position of Minister for Interior and carries out the responsibilities that it appertains, it is very difficult to come out without criticism. I am sure we can all attest to that because we have had problems at one time or the other with the people who have held the Ministry of Interior docket. However, in the short period that the late Sen. Haji was the Minister for Interior, and when he was an assistant minister in ... view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: The late Sen. Haji really loved the truth to his bone and soul. If you have any doubts about that, you just need to flash back to when we were debating the division of revenue formula last year. The late Sen. Haji stuck to his position to the end. He would tell us on the face that on the matter of division of revenue, he would not change his position no matter who advised otherwise. He would say, ‘on this matter, hata kama ninini, nitakufa na watu wangu. ’ The Senate Majority Leader and I had a meeting with the ... view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I loved the kind of debate we had in this House during the stalemate on the division of revenue sharing formula last year. Although I had taken a contrary position; that is the time I really felt that we are in a House that reasons and where debate prevails. Although there were things happening on the sidelines, the core of the issue that was before us was so critical that it divided us on matters of principle. I really admired that the late Sen. Haji stood firm to the position that he had taken. That was a ... view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: The late Sen. Haji also had the great responsibility to co-chair the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). Although he is not here to speak for himself, there are challenges and things that we needed to know from him because the country would be better informed if he told us the things that he knows. The debate on the BBI Report in county assemblies is happening without his contribution. However, as a matter of fact, I know that if there was anything in the BBI Report that the late Sen. Haji did not agree to, then we are cursed because he did ... view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: Haji really fought hard and selflessly for Ijara to get a constituency, not just out of the love of his community only, but because they deserve it. view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, finally, in the spirit of Sen. Haji I would like to say that I am beginning to see in this country, and which we must be very careful about--- There is a right to protected speech in the Constitution, which has got certain limitations that I am quite happy about and should continue to be there. The moment we begin to restrict speech or criminalize speech, we will be talking about another country. I say that from the bottom of my heart. I would like this country to remember that in the laws of Kenya in the ... view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: Sometimes you do not have to like what people say. You do not have to like what I say. You will be a fool to like what I say all the time because it means your mind is not working. Criminalising what somebody says is a great betrayal to the people of Kenya, who fought so hard, first of all, to get rid of laws like sedition and incitement that have been challenged constitutionally. view
• 16 Feb 2021 in Senate: The late Sen. Haji was a democrat and open to plead to this country that we needed a degree of tolerance to drive us forward. There was a great American judge who said that the remedy to be applied in circumstances where you may not like what somebody is saying is more speech and not to enforce silence. He added that the remedy for speech that is false, is speech that is true. Therefore, whenever somebody says anything that you do not like or think is false, the remedy is not to be oppressive or overbearing, but speaking the truth. ... view