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{
    "id": 1030100,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1030100/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 188,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, all of them are always sweet 16. I also stand here to support the Committee’s Report, but obviously, like many of us and quite a number of Kenyans out there, we are disappointed at the skewed age of the appointees. Yes, it is granted that the job of an Ambassador, a High Commissioner or a diplomat is purely a technical job that requires a lot of experience and requires you to command respect amongst your host country, but honestly speaking, almost 70 per cent of the nominees were born in 1960s. This was before independence, and probably, that could be the understanding. They can go out there and tell the history of Kenya from independence all the way to date. I do not know whether that is one of the qualifications of a diplomat in a foreign land. However, Kenya must come alive to the fact that we seem to have a diplomatic challenge in the world simply because of the geopolitics, a muddled politics at home and un-strategic approach to diplomatic issues. The laws of the white-collar job were really an indictment on our diplomacy – how well we do our diplomacy. Yes, we got a seat in the United Nations (UN), but probably, the job that we wanted prior to that was more important to Kenya than the one at UN. Of course, the laws of the pipeline that has to go through Tanzania and Uganda is, again, an indication that our diplomacy is facing challenges. We hope these new diplomatic appointments will have a sober rethink of the diplomatic position of this country so that we redeem and regain our level. As we stand now, our trade balance has been unfavorable to Kenya for the past few years. I would have imagined the appointing authority should have focused on regaining that particular position as a positive trade balance, instead of having a negative trade deficit. However, as you can see, we have gone for the military career as if the main challenge that we currently have is a security issue. However, as we say, who are we to question the wisdom of the appointing authority? We sincerely hope that things will change, and we will have a better position with regard to a diplomatic relationship. 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."
}