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{
    "id": 1477204,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1477204/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Murugara",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Allow me to also support this Motion so that we are able to ratify the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the AU relating to PAP. It is important for the House to keep on noting every time we have such protocols that it is a requirement of our Constitution that once our country, Kenya, becomes a signatory to an international protocol, then it ought to be brought to the House, so that it is ratified to become binding in the country. After ratification, the Protocol becomes part and parcel of our domestic laws. Therefore, we are bound. This is also pursuant to the Treaty Making and Ratification Act which is part of the laws of the country. Upon approval or ratification of this Protocol, Kenya will be part and parcel of the Act of the African Union which will constitute PAP. It is also important to observe that we are part and parcel of PAP. We have that chapter in this House which deals with Pan- African Affairs. We have been a member of the AU since inception of the country in 1963 when we became independent. We have steadfastly stood with it. In fact, in the early 1980s, the late President Moi was the Chairman of the AU. We were very proud of that event during that epoch. Today as we speak, we are presenting a formidable candidate for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission, who is none other than the indefatigable Rt. Hon. Former Prime Minister, Raila Amollo Odinga. We wish him very well. He has the full backing of the country. We have gone out of our way to ensure that all the friendly countries that support Kenya support his candidature. We are just waiting to see how the voting will go. However, we are almost certain that he will be elected as the Chairperson. This is very important because we are going to strengthen PAP through this Act which will constitute it. We will also be part and parcel of Pan-Africanism in Africa. It goes without gainsaying that our founding fathers of the African continent played a pivotal role in ensuring that Pan-Africanism spread. All the time we mention this, the late Kwame Nkrumah, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya, Sedar Senghor in Senegal and others come into play. These were Pan-Africanists who stood for African unity. Today, we should be edging towards the union of the African continent so that we stop seeing ourselves as regional blocs – the East African Community, the South African Development Commission, the North African Bloc, and whichever. We should see ourselves as one continent transiting to an African State where, possibly, we are going to have the African currency amongst many other trading issues that we should bring together. We need to speak in one voice. This is a very important act to be executed by the African Union, relating to the Pan- African Parliament, and as Kenyans, we should embrace it 100 per cent. As we wish the Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga the very best for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission, we confirm today that we support this ratification which also goes towards showing that we are together with the African Union in issues relating to Pan-Africanism. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I support the Motion."
}