Johnson Arthur Sakaja

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 3651 to 3660 of 5036.

• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: Therefore, Madam Temporary Speaker, this calls for creativity as we re-imagine democracy. How can an average person in a county assembly in Kenya feel that they connect, that they are being represented and that they have not been left behind? Every other facet of society, economy or industry has evolved with time; but legislatures, parliaments and assemblies across the world find themselves stuck in the past. I will give an example where we had put out an advertisement, as the Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, where we invited public views on a very important Bill about county ... view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: Madam Temporary Speaker, when we call for a meeting on a Tuesday or a Wednesday morning, yet one half of the people you want to come are in their offices somewhere, very few will come. Even those who come feel that in as much as they will give their views, they do not think these views will be taken into consideration. That is why it calls for us to use more of technology so that some of these things should be appearing online on Twitter, Facebook and on WhatsApp. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information ... view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: I am sure that if you get some of the young people in my county of Nairobi – whom I am very proud of –many of them are right now in iLab, NaiLab and various other incubation centres. We, therefore, need to create a space for them think and innovate how we can use technology to make proceedings of legislatures – both in the Senate and in the county assemblies – more relevant and immediate to them. Only then will we have quality engagement that is true with the people of this country. view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: Madam Temporary Speaker, even as we move along, I am glad to know that the Bill talks about English and Swahili being used, although my good friend, Senator Cheruiyot, has refuted that. However, it needs to remain as it is. It is not by chance that the Constitution recognizes English and Swahili as the official languages of this country. I challenge him to show us any county that has the geographical compactness of only one community or vernacular language, such that we can then say that in that county, if we present things officially in one language, apart from English ... view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: FM or Wimwaro FM, yet you do not understand it, do you feel more united with the people? Do you feel more or less Kenyan? Even if you are Sen. Wambua and listening to Mbaitu FM all the way from your county to Parliament, when you get out of the car, do you feel more of a Kamba or a Kenyan? These are hard questions that we must ask ourselves and answer. Therefore, I do not support this matter. We need to insist on English and Kiswahili. Let us speak our vernacular at home. The electronic version of the Senate ... view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: In Tanzania, there are more than 100 languages, but it is offensive to see somebody speaking in vernacular even if that person is in the remotest part of the rural area. That is why that country has been held together. The fabric that holds us together in this country is eroded because we think that somebody is greater or better because they come from where one comes from. Madam Temporary Speaker, I have heard Members say that we have had challenges with many of our county assemblies. I do not agree when we address county assemblies in a patronizing manner; ... view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: I accept, Madam Temporary Speaker. view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: Madam Temporary Speaker, evidently, the good Senator was not listening to what I said. I did not say whether it makes you less of a Kenyan. I asked what it makes you feel, especially if you are in a situation where you are the only who does not understand that language. Does it make you feel more or less of a Kenyan? Madam Temporary Speaker, in fact, to inform him further, I put advertisements in Kamba vernacular stations saying: “Nye nitawa Sakaja, na iniyumbanitye kumuthukumiata Seneta wenyu vaa Ilovi Kaunti.” I can speak six languages fluently, but know that my ... view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: Madam Temporary Speaker, let me go back to the Bill. It is not that we do not know how we speak these languages. Our country has come so many times to the brink of the precipice because of tribalism. Whatever it takes for us to do, even if it means insisting that when you are in a public space we should speak national languages, let us do it. I know that many people will resist it because it might be unpopular in their different areas. I am fortunate that, as the Senator for Nairobi City County with 43 communities, I ... view
• 17 Oct 2018 in Senate: Madam Temporary Speaker, back to the issue of petitions, I am excited that once this is passed the ordinary Nairobian will be able to go and present their petition on an issue that affects them. I said earlier that we should not be looking at county assemblies in a condescending manner, thinking that we will give them capacity. Sometimes we learn from them. Madam Temporary Speaker, people have vilified my County City Assembly of Nairobi, but I am very proud of those individuals. I know that they are honourable men and women, but in one incident they slipped a bit, ... view