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{
    "id": 1323765,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1323765/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 93,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Saku, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Ali Raso",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support this Motion on the ratification of the UNESCO Convention. Countries in the West or the so-called ‘developed countries’ are very particular about intellectual property rights. Had they come up with things like M-Pesa, it would currently be very expensive for other countries to use it. At the same time, they would be making billions of shillings from that invention. Many artefacts were taken out of countries in the developing world during the colonial days, and more artefacts are still being taken out today. They took artefacts that were made by curio shop owners because they realised the value of hand-crafted artefacts. They also took objects that we inherited from our forefathers. The rich or the smart can use available technology to identify valuable objects that can stand the test of the time so as to be used or seen by generations to come. The main attractions in museums around the world, and more so in the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe are cultural properties that were taken from Africa. Others were taken during military expeditions when they were fighting Africans to dispossess them of land or to dethrone African leaders. The UNESCO protects world heritage sites like what we have in Lamu, and in parts of Central and Rift Valley because they attach educational value to those sites. We are still not yet endowed with the intellectual capacity to protect what is rightfully ours as a country. Therefore, we must ratify this Convention so that it becomes part of our laws as per Article 2(6) of the Constitution, so that we protect what is rightfully ours. The Convention will protect our artefacts that had been taken away, or those that somebody might attempt to take away in the future. With those remarks, I support the Motion."
}