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{
    "id": 1010239,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1010239/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 201,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kilifi North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Owen Baya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13373,
        "legal_name": "Owen Yaa Baya",
        "slug": "owen-yaa-baya"
    },
    "content": "Thirdly, many times, the Italian Government has brought many people to work in this country. Some of them have work permits while some do not have permits. This agreement says that Kenyan professional staff will be appointed to serve at the centre and also learn. However, as at now, you cannot pinpoint any Kenyan who was trained at that centre. You cannot say “This guy has qualifications in space knowledge because he is trained at that centre.” San Marco Space Centre has been there for many years but it has not benefited the community. Neither has it benefited the country. The US$250,000 that the space centre pays the Government each year is for the land. If you go to Ngomeni now, you will not see any economic activity around that centre as a result of its presence there. We know that such developments become stimuli of economic growth. However, in Ngomeni, where this centre is situated, there is nothing that can be attributed to the existence of that centre. The Italians use that space centre to make a lot of money but it is not helping the local community. Fourthly, in Article 8 (2), the agreement says that the centre will undertake training programmes for Kenyan nationals in Aerospace Science and Space Science Technology and Research. However, as we stand, I do not think this country has benefited from the alluded training programme. I love the recommendations that have been made by the Committee. The Committee has made three observations, the second of which is important, that neither the Government of Kenya nor the Italian Government has invested in the development of human capacity to take over the management of the space centre. It is time that, as a country, we started thinking of taking over the management of that space centre. If Kenyans had been undergoing training as provided in the agreement, by now we would have built sufficient capacity to manage that centre. However, as it is, we have not been able to do so. The Committee also observed that the centre has not effectively undertaken corporate social responsibility for the benefit of the local community. The Italian Government makes billions of shillings out of the space centre. They sell satellite pictures and do many things for the world and make a lot of money out of that centre. However, corporate social responsibility has not been forthcoming. It has not been undertaken. The people of Ngomeni, where this facility is located, are very poor. They depend on fishing only. The economy is still performing badly. I urge the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations to oversee what is happening at Ngomeni. When I was teaching at Pwani University, we made an application for this centre to open a faculty at the university so that it could pass over knowledge and capacity to Kenyans. Hon. Speaker, therefore, while I support this Report..."
}