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{
    "id": 1008392,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1008392/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 350,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to discuss this Bill. The issue of refugees is a big problem in the country. This country actually has 500,000 people who live as refugees mostly from Somalia and South Sudan, and we have huge refugee camps like Daadab and Kakuma. Kakuma is actually the largest refugee camp in the world. So, it is a big problem that we have. Worldwide, there are about 25 million people who are walking around as refugees without status. Not just the numbers but we also have problems of looking after them. There are security issues that come with refugees. There are also health and human rights issues. Therefore, it is an issue that needs to be looked into carefully. This Bill provides for recognition and protection of refugees. It seeks to give effect to the international conventions that we have signed; like the UN and OAU ones. Most importantly, it is the structures that the Bill has put in place. The Bill has put in place many very important structures, starting with creation of a refugee department within the Public Service. It will be funded and, therefore, it will be easy to supervise. It has an advisory committee which will advise the Commissioner for Refugees. It will have a status appeal committee and a panel that will look at the issue of refugees. However, what has come out that I think we need to look at in this Bill is that the Commissioner for Refugees and the Minister have a lot of discretion throughout this Bill, but we do not find structures that will curtail some of these discretions or put in place regulatory processes. Probably, the appeal committee will do that but it is something I have looked at in the Bill. A lot of authority has been given to the Minister and the Commissioner for Refugees. The other thing that is not clear in this Bill – which we need to look at – is the relationship between the Advisory Committee and the Commissioner. Looking at it officially, you realise that the commissioner is working under the advisory committee but you do not see a clear structural relationship. My concern is that in future there may actually be a conflict between them. The other issue that I noted is the composition of the committee. It is a purely Government committee. As Hon. Millie has said, we need to include the civil society and religious organisations in that committee. The appeals committee replaces the appeals board that is in the Act. Again, it is solely appointed by the Minister and you do not get any representation from the civil society and religious organisations. Again, that is an issue we need to look at. However, it establishes a proper process of application and eligibility. The eligibility panel is an important panel that advises the Commissioner. There are very good provisions in this Bill; like Clause 16, which provides for screening people for health. However, it does not say what you do after you screen them. The provision for protection of women and people with disabilities is very good. As Hon. Odhiambo-Mabona said, the exclusion for consideration just because you have applied to another country is not correct. It should be that you have actually been given asylum in 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."
}