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{
    "id": 1105945,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1105945/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 189,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, why do we not use these Kenyan associations to get data on both documented and undocumented Kenyans living abroad. If they are living in UK, USA or Brazil, why do they not use Kenyan associations as an avenue of investment and ensuring we track the number of Kenyans in those countries? Another thing is, of course, investments. The stories of the challenges we have heard from there are interesting. The biggest challenge that Kenyans living abroad sending money back home for their brothers and sisters or friends to invest for them, only to come back and find nothing. Kenyans should also be good people. I wish we could understand that Kenyans living abroad really work hard and do not even sleep. They sleep for two or three hours and then go to another job. They send money to their brother or sister in Kenya and what do they do? They take pictures of somebody’s house and tell the one abroad that their house is complete. When they come to the village, they find vituni different kwa ground. How do we assist Kenyans so that we safeguard their investments? These are hustlers. They are working hard there washing dishes and being waitresses. The ones living in Saudi Arabia work as housemaids or servants. Let me call them house managers because it is not good to call them housemaids. They are working very hard. We need to find a way to safeguard their investments from the money they send back to the country. Relatives should not con them. We have seen such stories in the media, where somebody has sent millions of shillings to buy a house or land and when they come back, these things do not exist. Finally, I want Kenyans to understand what it means to have these amendments. Section 32H says: “The Cabinet Secretary shall submit an annual report to Parliament on the implementation of policies relating to the management of welfare of Kenyans living abroad and returnees.” Parliament means both Houses. Here, we are talking about accountability. From the outset in my submission, I told you Kenyans have brought Kshs649 billion within two years. That is 2019 and 2020. It means we must audit and get a report. We do not want to assist Kenyans when they are crying on televisions because their relative has died in the Far East or any other part of the globe. We must address how to do this. We can ensure Kenyans living abroad are able. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the audit that we envision is to have a CS come to Parliament and tell us the problems Kenyans are facing. They should even submit the number of Kenyans who have died – God forbid – abroad, how many are facing challenges and what they have done about passports, ID cards and Huduma Numbers - whether that is the issue we want to see. Finally, in my closing remarks, these Kenyans who are largely hustlers, who are working paycheck to paycheck; who are working two to three jobs, how do we safeguard their interests in running the Government of Kenya and ensuring they have a future in Kenya? I want to assure the diaspora community that they have friends in this Senate who will push this legislative intervention to ensure - and it is not a privilege - that their rights as Kenyans who are living abroad is protected. That is what we want to do in this amendment."
}