Gems from Naivasha

“There are three categories of politicians. The headline chasers, the policy makers and the statesmen. Some when they stand in Parliament, you see a member rising, saying the consultations are too loud. Others, when they stand to speak, even the chair sits alert. You take your pick.”

~Mr Patrick Gichohi, Clerk of the National Assembly

“The public is entitled to know what MPs do, that’s why they pay taxes. Parliamentary reporters do more than report events and debates. They analyse and criticize.”

~Mr Patrick Gichohi, Clerk of the National Assembly

“Who has the legitimate claim to be the people’s watchdog? Is it Parliament or the media?

~Mr Patrick Gichohi, Clerk of the National Assembly

“Is this (journalism) a profession or a trade? My take is that it’s none of the two. It is a calling. It’s almost like being a priest. You have to know upfront that you are sacrificing a lot. The industry has been infiltrated by many jobseekers.”

~Linus Kaikai, ME, NBD.

“Editorial judgment is not taught in schools… I think partly, the reason the media was seen as a reason in the post-election violence, it’s because stories were twisted…. It is very very sad when you bring a story as a journalist and it is altered [twisted] by an editor…that’s very very wrong.”

~Linus Kaikai, ME, NBD.

“There’s a culture in this country and it is passed from one journalist to the next, that news is politics and politics is news.”

~Linus Kaikai, ME, NBD.

“The British Parliament is currently largely run like a club.”

~PC Omollo, Senior Deputy Clerk, Kenya National Assembly

“What makes our politics boring? It is boring sometimes, because in this country we have decided to legislate on politics…this idea is dangerous. There are so many things that are done by tradition.”

~PC Omollo, Senior Deputy Clerk, Kenya National Assembly

“People who are dictators are not different from rapists (with all due respect to the ladies).”

~PC Omollo, Senior Deputy Clerk, Kenya National Assembly

“You can’t criticize an institution which you don’t understand. Criticising an MP is not the same as criticizing Parliament.”

~PC Omollo, Senior Deputy Clerk, Kenya National Assembly

“Being a politician is not an easy thing. I have seen people coming to Parliament with a lot of enthusiasm, but the earth doesn’t stop moving because they are there.”

~PC Omollo, Senior Deputy Clerk, Kenya National Assembly

“There’s no need to have a Parliament if you don’t respect the culture of debate. In Kenya, people go into politics to win seats. You know what they say in America? People go into politics to raise issues. Here, when you lose, you lose everything, I think, even, including your manhood”

~PC Omollo, Senior Deputy Clerk, Kenya National Assembly

“So many cattle rustlers are not aware that they are committing an offence.”

~PC Omollo, Senior Deputy Clerk, Kenya National Assembly

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