Special Address by His Excellency Hon. William Samoei Ruto, PhD, C.G.H., President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-In-Chief of the Defence Forces, to the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania

WAZIRI WA NCHI, OFISI YA WAZIRI MKUU, SERA, BUNGE, URATIBU NA WENYE ULEMAVU: Mheshimiwa Spika, nami niungane na wenzangu wote kumshukuru sana Mheshimiwa Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania Dkt. Samia Suluhu Hassan kwa kumwalika ndugu yetu Mheshimiwa Rais Dkt. William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto, Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart and Chief of the Order of Burning Spear. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Dkt. Ruto umezungumza hotuba yako yenye maono makubwa, yenye utuo na mimi ninataka nikuambie leo unaye ndugu yako humu ndani ya Bunge ambaye yawezekana wengi hawafahamu kwamba ni ndugu yako naye anaitwa Mheshimiwa Asia Halamga. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Rais, huyu ni Mdatoga ambayo wote mlitoka mlikotoka, ninyi mkabaki Wakalenjini, wao wakaja mpaka Serengeti, wakaingia Ngorongoro, wakaingia Hanang. Kwa hiyo, ulipozungumza leo na nalisema hili kwa sababu watu wanadhani undugu wa Wakenya na Watanzania ni kwa sababu ya mpaka lakini huyu ni ndugu yako wa damu, Mheshimiwa Asia Halamga. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Dkt. Ruto umezungumza jambo la kweli kabisa wakati wa Maumau wako ndugu zetu kutoka Kenya ambao walikuja, waliotoka Nyeri walienda Maswa na waliotoka Kiambuu walienda Mufindi na wengine walipanda mpaka kuwa Mawaziri katika Baraza la Mawaziri la Tanzania, Mheshimiwa Joseph James Mungai. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Spika, kwa hakika kabisa leo umekuja kwa ndugu zako na ulipotaja Singida ndiyo njia ambayo ndugu zako hawa walipowaacha ninyi kule walikuja moja kwa moja kama Sinbad. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Rais, lakini leo umezungumza mambo makubwa sana; moja tuzalishe mali sisi wenyewe kwa kutumia rasilimali zetu hapa ili tujenge ajira, lakini tulete maisha bora kwa watu wetu, maana yake unazungumzia yale yale aliyozungumza Baba wa Taifa Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere katika kazi yake ya mwisho kabla ya kupandishwa cheo kwenda mbinguni, kwamba ni lazima sisi watu tujitegemee na kujitegemea ni sisi kufanya kazi kwa pamoja na kuzalisha kwa pamoja. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Rais, wakati umefika sasa wa kuanza kutengeneza bidhaa na kuziuza nje ya Afrika ya Mashariki kama Made in East Africa. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Dkt. Ruto na sisi wote turudi tena tuisome upya The Kampala Agreement of 1964 as it was amended in Mbale in 1965 and that should be now the spirit of what you have said today. We need to join hands in order to make East Africa again prosperous, strong and united. (Makofi)

We made terrible mistakes in 1967 which we should not repeat again, we should not repeat again. We did it because of our short-sightedness. Now, it is time as you have said in your speech for all East Africans to be emboldened to work together. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda we have a historical responsibility of making East Africa move forward, move forward and forge forward united. (Applause)

Mheshimiwa Spika, nikushukuru sana kwa hotuba yako ambayo imetupa mambo mengi sana na hotuba ya Mzee Moi ninayo hapa kwenye Hansard zetu ya tarehe 12 Novemba, 2002 na ninaamini kabisa Mheshimiwa Spika baadaye Mheshimiwa Rais Dkt. Ruto atapata hotuba hii katika Hansard ya Tanzania aone alichokisema Mheshimiwa Rais Moi na alichokisema yeye leo na wote wamezungumzia jambo moja Kenya siyo adui wa Tanzania na Tanzania siyo adui wa Kenya, sisi wote ni ndugu. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Spika, na mimi nichukue fursa hii kukushukuru sana kwa kuongoza Bunge hili kwa umahiri mkubwa na kuhakikisha leo mgeni wetu amepata heshima kubwa hapa Dodoma. (Makofi)

Mheshimiwa Spika, ninakushukuru sana.