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{
"id": 1010261,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1010261/?format=api",
"text_counter": 223,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
"speaker": {
"id": 174,
"legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
"slug": "amos-kimunya"
},
"content": " The Committee was given this Report which was signed in 2016. It is in the public domain. It was signed between the two Governments but requires ratification. I was just going through some of the highlights. When we say that it has not provided the same concerns that were raised in the 2011, because I have gone through it… When we discussed it in the House Business Committee, I took interest to see why we are not ratifying this Report. I picked through the issues, then I challenged the Ministry which gave me a Report showing how each of those was disposed of and referred me where it appears within the Agreement. The issues we are talking about in terms of the community – the 6.4 million Euros, which is close to a Kshs1 billion, is for community development within that area, namely, Ngomeni area. If you look at the other issues, you will find that there will be access to the data centre, third party residence fees, and 50-50 share, which is what Hon. Duale is asking for. It has already been agreed upon for all third parties plus a Kshs50,000. Basically, all sorts of things are captured within this Agreement. The first thing to confirm is that the issues that had been raised by the 11th Parliament that Kenya was not benefiting from this Agreement have been taken care of. Again, to the extent possible, it is work in progress. Previously, an Italian was the CEO. Under the new Agreement, a Kenyan will be the Deputy CEO and various professionals. The Government of Kenya is to recruit and second. So, there is progress being made in terms of utilisation of this Space Centre. One thing we must ask ourselves as a House is whether we continue with the old 1995 Agreement which does not favour Kenya or make some progress and ratify the new one, then continue negotiating for more. If we do not, we are going back to where we were. It is a very complicated process. You might not get everything you need or you want, but if we made some progress, bank that progress and then move onto the next Agreement. This is not forever. In the next round of renegotiations, we can ask for more. However, if we do not do that and get ourselves stuck in the 1995 Agreement, we will continue losing and we will be stuck like a record just moving around. It is in the interest of the other people for us not to move forward into this new commitment. As long as we pass this law on the Treaty Making and Ratification Act, and Section 2(1) prohibits the Italians from doing anything that would be prejudicial to this Act, they cannot do anything. They cannot even hire TOs and they cannot implement all these things for the people of Ngomeni until we have ratified it. It is really not rocket science. It is easy. Hon. Speaker, let us ratify, start getting the benefits and continue negotiating for a better situation. If we get stuck where we are, the people of Kilifi will continue suffering. The Kenyan scientists will continue suffering. Kenya as a country will continue suffering because the Italians will continue using the centre without benefitting us. So, Hon. Members, I wish to ask that we all agree. Let us ratify it, make progress and move into the next round of negotiations. With those words, I beg to support."
}