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{
"id": 1406191,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406191/?format=api",
"text_counter": 117,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Hon. Dido Raso."
},
{
"id": 1406192,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406192/?format=api",
"text_counter": 118,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Saku, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Ali Raso",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. Hon. Pukose really wants the Question to be put, but I must contribute to this Motion. The EPAs are important. However, as a country, we must ask ourselves the hard questions. Will they be bilateral or multilateral trade links? Will we trade with 27 countries in one go or individual countries? The European Union places very stringent measures and standards in trade. We must look at them. Will they help us to put them in place, in terms of developing infrastructure? Leader of the Minority Party comes from a fishing community. At one time, they could not access the European market because of the standards that were in place. It is also important for the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and other players in the trading market to sign this Agreement. Are we competitive enough to trade with European market as a single player? We are within the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) that trade as a bloc or community. There is always strength in belonging to a big group. That is why the EU has 27 countries. Before the exit of the Brits, they were 28 countries. While I support this Report, I request the Chairman of the Committee to sit with the individuals in the Ministry who were involved in this Agreement. We not only want trade but also movement of labour, if they want to support the trading links. That is the way we can say this EPA is good to an extent. However, we must go the whole hog to enjoy its benefit. It should not be a one-way traffic. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1406193,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406193/?format=api",
"text_counter": 119,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Saku, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Ali Raso",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Let me join Leader of the Majority Party and Leader of the Minority Party to welcome the BATUK team. As a graduate of Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom (UK), I must say that the historical links between Kenya and Britain is one of the reasons we have this august House as a Commonwealth. Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
},
{
"id": 1406194,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406194/?format=api",
"text_counter": 120,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Hon. Mutunga."
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{
"id": 1406195,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406195/?format=api",
"text_counter": 121,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Endebess, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Robert Pukose",
"speaker": null,
"content": " On a point of order, Hon. Speaker."
},
{
"id": 1406196,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406196/?format=api",
"text_counter": 122,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "What is your point of order, Hon. Pukose? Hold on, Hon. Mutunga. There is a point of order from Hon. (Dr) Pukose."
},
{
"id": 1406197,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406197/?format=api",
"text_counter": 123,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Endebess, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Robert Pukose",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Speaker, I know that we might have one or two Members who would like to speak. However, all the Members support this Motion. If we can ratify the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, it will do us justice so that we move to the next Order which Members can still contribute to. I request that the Mover be called upon to reply."
},
{
"id": 1406198,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406198/?format=api",
"text_counter": 124,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Since I had already given Hon. Mutunga the chance, let him finish. Then, I will put the Question on whether the Mover can be called upon to reply."
},
{
"id": 1406199,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406199/?format=api",
"text_counter": 125,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John K Mutunga",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak to this Motion on Ratification of the Kenya- European Union Economic Partnership Agreement. I support it. There are 27 countries in the EU with an economy of Euro16 trillion. That is a very huge economy which we, as a country, need right now to grow. I have gone through the Report and noted some of the issues that we wished to see happen before its adoption. People were invited to submit their memoranda which they did. I will single out some of the key or potential beneficiaries of this Agreement. Once this market opens up, the Tea Board of Kenya will be one of them because we sell a lot of tea out there. We have a strategy to increase the amount of tea and coffee we sell. We lost the coffee quota. We used to sell more than 120,000 metric tonnes, but currently we only sell around 51,000 metric tonnes. We now have an opportunity to reach this market better. In some instances, we have been trading with the UK. We sell our coffee there and sometimes it is reconstituted. This Agreement brings in the opportunity for us to sell finished products. Therefore, Kenyan products are likely to be landing at the world market as Kenyan products but not reconstituted from another country. This is a greater benefit to this country. The cross-cutting nature of this Agreement is key and worth noting because it does not talk of selected products. Initially, the market was open for us to sell raw materials and floricultural or horticultural products. We have a wide scope of products that we can sell right now. I would like to point out that we need improvements in certain products. For instance, we would like to recapture the coffee and pyrethrum quota. We would also like to sell more products in these markets. This is one of the most ambitious Agreements that has been signed between EU and developing countries. It is also compatible with World Trade Organisation Agreement. Therefore, we are not likely to see minor agreements disrupting this Agreement, once it is signed. The growth of our economy is key. According to Kenya Vision 2030, we target to grow at 20 per cent. Right now, we are at around 7.4 per cent. This opportunity to trade with the EU will help us secure resources for growth. The 25 years that these countries have given us are a huge potential for Kenya to grow. We are likely to do a lot better than we have done. The fact that the Treaty has an immediate commencement date makes it commence immediately or the minute this House ratifies it. It will not wait for anther commencement period. That means we can start trading right away. It is important for us to realise that the European Union (EU) is our third major trading partner. With this kind of opening of their bonds and our products, we are likely to have it as the first trading partner because we will be dealing with 27 different countries in one. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1406200,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1406200/?format=api",
"text_counter": 126,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John K Mutunga",
"speaker": null,
"content": "This Treaty could never have come at a better time. It is my submission that it will help our shilling to grow stronger. Foreign trade is one of the ways of getting foreign currency. We are going to open up more foreign trade. It is, indeed, going to help us improve our economy’s foreign exchange and strengthen our shilling. We are also going to have the opportunity to buy more from them and improve quality of the products in this country. I support the adoption. Thank you very much."
}
]
}