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{
    "id": 1264188,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1264188/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 285,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kathiani, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Robert Mbui",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "participate appropriately and properly in peacekeeping missions. Historically, Kenya has been participating in these peacekeeping missions but over the years, some of our neighbouring countries which are smaller than us, and even with their smaller economies, have overtaken our country in participation. The reason is because we do not have enough equipment and neither do we have modern equipment. This Fund will help our troops in the military to participate and actively get involved in peacekeeping missions which keep them physically fit. It also helps them to keep abreast of modern warfare. This is because if we can keep troops in the barracks forever and then one time, God forbid, we get attacked, if they have not been practising, they will not be able to keep up. This is one way in which we keep our troops busy because they are constantly out there participating. When Kenya or any other country participates in peacekeeping, there are payments made for two things: personnel and equipment. Kenya has been benefiting from personnel but the money paid to the personnel is done directly to the participating soldiers, and therefore, nothing comes to the Government. The equipment is also supposed to be paid for but what they do is look at the quality of the equipment that you are taking out there. If the quality is almost obsolete like the one for Kenya, then they will not be paid for. In essence, we are sending troops with obsolete equipment. We get money for the troops while the country gets almost nothing. It is therefore, important that we be able to invest in this Fund. The Fund will also enable the Ministry of Defence to ring-fence the money that is paid for purposes of peace support. The little money that we receive as a country then becomes part of the Consolidated Fund. That means that when the military requires to procure equipment, they must go there with the budget and request. And as the Leader of the Majority Party has said, when there are too many competing interests for the little money, they end up not getting the money back. It is important that we ring-fence this by providing them with a fund so that their money can go to that fund, and whatever money is paid, they can always access it, use it and roll it over to even beyond the financial year."
}