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{
"id": 1105889,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1105889/?format=api",
"text_counter": 133,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Kang’ata",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am aware of the problems that Kenyans have faced in some of the countries where they have gone to provide labour, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. Be that as it may, I am aware of many other jurisdictions where we have never had issues of human rights violations. Some of those countries are experiencing an acute labour shortage. Therefore, as a country and as counties, good governance should now take advantage and leverage on the fact that some countries are experiencing a major labour deficit. We now negotiate with those countries to ensure that we export more Kenyans who are jobless from Kenya to them. It will be a win-win situation. Those countries will get labour. Kenyans are very well trained. As a country, we will create employment for our young people and they will be sending remittances to their people here in Kenya. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Scandinavian countries like Finland and Norway and countries like Germany, China, Japan, the UK and the USA have huge labour deficits. I am sure that you have been following international media channels like Aljazeera, the Cable News Network (CNN), and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). They are currently reporting that there are supply chain disruptions in the UK, reason being that they do not have enough drivers. In fact, according to the latest report that I have seen, the UK has a deficit of about 90,000 truck drivers. I have no doubt that Kenya can negotiate with the UK and send some of its best drivers to the UK. Those people will send money as they will be in the diaspora. They will send money to us and Kenya will prosper. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the people who live in the diaspora poses major skills. Once they immigrate back, they become returnees. We need to give them recognition and put them in strategic Ministries and counties, so that they help our country, because they will be coming with very good skills from abroad. I strongly urge governors who are forward looking to create partnerships with various countries externally. They ensure that their young people can go to those countries. As a governor, you can enter into some partnership with, say, the USA and provide what we call caregiving. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I was in a place called Seattle with my friend, Sen. Cherargei. We found that the caregiving industry there is booming. When you look at the people who are doing that job, 70 per cent of caregiving work in that State has been monopolized by Kenyans. They told us that they want more workers to go there, because they have an acute shortage of employees. Currently, Kenya is negotiating what we call a free trade agreement with the USA. I take this opportunity to congratulate my friend, the former President Donald Trump. I like his approach. The relationship between the Kenyan Government and the USA when Trump was the President was a more objective and forward looking engagement. It was about trade. I hope that the current administration of President Biden does not torpedo the negotiations for a free trade agreement between Kenya and the USA. One of the areas I would ask the concerned Ministry to consider in embedding in those negotiations is the idea of exporting labour. If more young, educated people of Murang’a County, who do not have jobs in Kenya, go to the USA, they will immediately"
}