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{
    "id": 1316252,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1316252/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 204,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Baringo North, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Joseph Makilap",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The Northern Corridor that stretches from the Indian Ocean all the way to Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia and all our neighbours, have porous entry points of illegal firearms, sugar and all manner of smuggled goods to our country. To promote open trade so that people do not participate in illegal trade, there is need to secure those border points for free interaction of our people with those from Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda. The firearms that have caused a lot of insecurity in the North Rift are as result of porous borders that are not under the control or managed by the Immigration Services or Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). In some parts of Northern Kenya, there is a place where donkeys are knowledgeable. They are used to transport sugar all the way from Somalia to Kenya, and they know where they take that kind of sugar. This is the only way we can redeem our image and raise revenues that have been lost for some time. Those revenues will enhance programmes in our budget. We lose a lot of revenue along that porous border that could have been used to increase the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), thereby increasing the funds that are meant for education and providing services to the people of Kenya. When we open the border points to become free trade areas where there is exchange of goods and services, many people will be engaged in trade and business, and we shall have opened a part of Kenya that could have otherwise been left behind for many years. I support the work of the Committee in the area of international relations between Kenya and its neighbours. For example, the Turkana and the Nyangatom of Ethiopia are the same people. For some time, the border around Kibish and South of Sudan has been a free area that has not been manned by the Kenya Government. We, therefore, need to control our border points to become one-stop shop for doing business along the boundaries of Kenya. This is the only way we can secure our borders from infiltration of firearms into our country. If we fix that, we shall have a country that is secure. We will be able to do business with our neighbours and also have people who are able to engage in many other things. We also need to look at the border points at the South. It is not only the Northern Corridor. This is because in some places, people just walk freely to the neighbouring country and come back without any order. In some places like Kacheliba, there are people who have dual citizenship. They come to Kenya to vote and also go to Uganda to vote. To enhance democratic space between our neighbours and ensure that proper elections are done around those areas, the checking of those border points is necessary and very good to manage our internal affairs so that we can have business to raise enough revenue for our country to support our programmes. I beg to support. Thank you."
}