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{
    "id": 1411360,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1411360/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 108,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " He is eager to do what he does best. This is a very important Motion. As the proposer and seconder have said, it offers Kenya a good opportunity to continue accessing the EU market. Since 2014/2016, we have been able to access the duty and quota-free status of the EU market without the requisite legal statutes which we are now getting with the signing of this EPA with Kenya, which is a member of EAC. As you may remember, since 2016, there has been a struggle between us and our partner states in the East African Community when we attempted to convince all the EAC countries to sign the EPA by October 2016. There were reservations by a number of our partner states which culminated in Kenya negotiating to sign a separate agreement with the EU as part of the broader EAC partner states. This agreement was signed last year in December and its ratification by this House will offer us a great opportunity to continue accessing the EU market for most of our exports. Most of our exports, both manufactured and raw materials like tea and coffee, now have access to the EU markets duty-free. We will be able to access EU partner states and EU nations that are part of the EU EPA quota-free and duty-free. This gives our manufacturing sector good footing. Under the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, we committed to import and export substitution to ensure that we can export as many products and substitute locally what we have imported from different countries. This includes many products that were being imported from China and other countries. With this kind of agreement, we will grow our manufacturing sector to a point where we are able to export manufactured products to the European economies. This reinforces what the Government has been trying to do to ensure we have larger foreign exchange reserves. By exporting more to the EU, we will earn more Euros, Pounds and other foreign currencies which will further strengthen the Kenya Shilling. Many people argue that there are no fundamentals that are supporting the strengthening of the Kenya Shilling against the Dollar. The fundamentals that people are looking for are agreements and ratification of agreements like this which will allow Kenyan manufacturers and farmers to access the EU market. This will encourage foreign exchange, further strengthening the Kenya Shilling. I assure Kenyans that with the ratification of this agreement, our foreign reserves will become stronger and the shilling will continue to gain against the other world hard currencies. This also assures Kenyans that they have a market for locally produced goods. That assurance of a market guarantees jobs to Kenyans, especially the youth. When we say that we shall be deliberate in ensuring that we create jobs, it is not just in terms of housing and other infrastructure projects, it is even in the ratification of such agreements that will ensure our manufacturing sector grows and creates more jobs for our youth. Therefore, I support this Motion and urge Members to support the ratification of this Economic Partnership Agreement. It is a very good opportunity for Kenyan traders and manufacturers to access the European Union partner-states markets. I know there are many people who are struggling to access markets around the world, but they could not access them because of the protective duties that have been put in place by other states on goods coming The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
}