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{
    "id": 1085955,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1085955/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 21,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kajiado South, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Katoo ole Metito",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13239,
        "legal_name": "Janet Marania Teyiaa",
        "slug": "janet-marania-teyiaa"
    },
    "content": "The qualification, professionalism and calibre of the people we send to represent Kenya abroad matters just as much as the quality, strength and sacrifices required by the people we choose to defend our sovereignty and to keep us abreast of any local and foreign threats in the armed forces. This is Committee of Defence and Foreign Relations. Therefore, Foreign Service and diplomacy go hand in hand with defence and the intelligence service. We oversee all defence, foreign affairs and intelligence and cushion the country against threats that are within and outside the country. The Committee sought to answer the critical questions that only become relevant when something goes wrong in Kenya’s diplomatic relations. The questions we are trying to answer through this Bill are: (i) What informs the foreign policy of a republic? (ii) How are our diplomats recruited? (iii) In what manner and where and in what subjects are they trained? (iv) What room for career progression exists for a diplomat? (v) How do we ensure allegiance of a diplomat posted abroad to a country’s interests? If we could answer the questions in the Bill, then we would have achieved the objectives of the Bill as shown in the Memorandum of Objects and Reasons. These are hard questions for which no legal framework or policy currently exists to the satisfaction of this Committee. There is, therefore, need to formulate the Bill. The Committee noted that other jurisdictions have taken the legislative route to provide a blueprint on how they would want their foreign services to be run. For example, we have the United States of America, India, Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, and most recently, in 2019, the South African Republic. In line with our recent election, as a country, to the United Nations (UN) Security Council, international best practice calls upon us to streamline the Foreign Service to enable the country to achieve its foreign policy objectives. This country is represented in many international bodies. The recent one is the one I have just mentioned; that is, the UN Security Council on a non-permanent basis. The others are the African Union (AU), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as well as the East African Community (EAC) where our President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, is the Chairperson. We normally say that the number one diplomat of any country is the President. However, those others who are posted in those international bodies represent the face of this country, not to mention the ambassadors, high commissioners, heads of missions and also consular representatives wherever they are in the globe. Drawing from the issues I have highlighted, the Foreign Service Bill, 2021, provides for the establishment of the Foreign Service, its composition and functions of the Cabinet Secretary (CS) and the Principal Secretary (PS). These are actually contained in Clauses 3 to 7. Specifically, Clauses 5, 6 and 7 try to define the functions of the CS and those of the PS in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in relation to the Foreign Service and Kenya’s foreign relations. 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."
}