Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1086012,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1086012/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 78,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kamukunji, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Yusuf Hassan",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 398,
        "legal_name": "Yusuf Hassan Abdi",
        "slug": "yusuf-hassan-abdi"
    },
    "content": "Men and women who are experienced and well trained with new capabilities and multiple skills are needed in the new global environment. The old skills are useful in some ways and we have very good old professionals in our foreign service, but we need new specialised knowledge in negotiating bilateral and multilateral agreements and arrangements. We need people with area specialisation, cultural and linguistic skills who can handle complex issues that will come up in the new environment. Representing one’s country is indeed one of the highest callings. Fortunate public servants who are chosen for this pivotal work to represent the State and the citizenry of Kenya are the face of our country. That is why we also need to have a representative in the foreign service. It is absolutely necessary that the men and women selected for these tasks are not only well trained, highly experienced and have the right expertise, but are the best that our country can produce and deploy. Therefore, this Bill will help to strengthen our foreign service and lay the foundation for the professionalisation of our diplomatic service. I think this is the first Bill that regulates our foreign service. I want to say that this is a remarkable achievement for the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, which I had the privileged of serving in the 10th Parliament, the 11th Parliament and the current Parliament. The Bill provides for the establishment of clear and effective management, administration, accountability mechanisms and measures for the foreign service. It envisages a foreign service which has specialised professional services consisting of political and technical offices. For example, we may take the Ministry of Foreign Affairs services or functions for granted, but in this Bill, looking at Clause 5(a), it emphasis that we will regulate the establishment, promotion and maintaining of goodwill relations between the republic and other States through this Ministry. This Bill will also help us in having effective foreign policy objectives. It will also help us, particularly the offices and Government officials who were given this task in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to develop and pursue economic, social and political interests of our country. It is not just diplomatic services and attending meetings. It is more than that. It will also actively help to seek bilateral, multilateral and international assistance to support national development goals of our republic. It will provide representation for our country as a regional and international organisation. It will also help the promotion of Kenya as an international investment destination. It will centre the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an agent of all other ministries and State organs in the country. Furthermore, it will help in managing official communication of foreign affairs and global issues and facilitating Kenya’s migrant labour."
}