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"id": 1008396,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1008396/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mukurweini, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Anthony Kiai",
"speaker": {
"id": 13439,
"legal_name": "Anthony Githiaka Kiai",
"slug": "anthony-githiaka-kiai"
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Yes, today I am in the Opposition, but I have not shifted. I want to appreciate, and I am seated next to my classmate, Hon. Odhiambo-Mabona. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I stand to support this Bill. This Bill is an improvement on the Act of Parliament that is already in place. But I would want to say two or three things other than what Hon. Odhiambo-Mabona has said. You realise that, this is an issue that brings about that delicate balance between human rights and national interests. Kenya, as it is, hosts some of the largest refugee camps in the world - at Kakuma or Dadaab. So, the problem of refugees in Kenya is such a big one. We, therefore, need to have a law that governs and manages refugees in Kenya. Some of the issues that are raised here really go into the security of this country because issues of refugees also overflow into security issues and they need a proper law to manage them. If you look at the law, which I have had a chance to look at when I had the privilege of being in the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs… We visited those refugees both in Dadaab and Kakuma. You will see that when the refugees come into our country, there is competition for resources. Some of the issues we picked in those refugee camps are that the refugees are treated better than the locals. The refugees are given better working and job opportunities than the locals. The refugees are always treated better by the law than the locals. Indeed, the facilities that they enjoy, like the schools that are donor-funded, the hospitals and the likes are better than the existing ones. Therefore, we need to have a law that will govern those issues before they become an insecurity issue. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the friction of culture is also another issue. You realise that when the refugees congregate somewhere, they move with their culture which sometimes is incompatible with the local culture. Those issues also generate a lot of animosity between the locals and the refugees. However, not all is lost. I realise that this Act has a very huge chunk about integration. Refugees being human, they need to be integrated into the proper local system either by making sure that they are given safe refuge out there and are integrated in those local societies or country. The section about integration talks about what happens in a situation whereby two refugees sire a kid who is stateless. What is the status of that kid who is born by two refugees? What happens when a local marries that refugee and they have kids? What is the status of those kids? The law, as it is, states that they cannot become Kenyan citizens. In other places like in the United States of America (USA), the moment you are born in their country, you automatically become a citizen. We need to look at such issues. The issue of asylum also needs to be addressed because when you arrive in Kenya for instance, and you apply for asylum locally, you are also in conflict with the immigration laws. Most likely, you will be returned back as a person who is not needed on Kenyan soil. So, we need to reconcile the Refugee Act with the Immigration Act, Penal Code, and the international conventions to ensure that once the Refugee Act is debated and agreed on, it is not in conflict with the existing laws. Otherwise, it will be shot down. 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."
}