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{
"id": 1481227,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1481227/?format=api",
"text_counter": 223,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "This will be brief and, I will request Sen. Mumma to second me. We had the session of the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa. The Pan-African Parliament is important because it is where all African nations come together to discuss the issues that affect Africa. Previously, those Presidents who held a vision to bring Africa together and create a united Africa; the likes of Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere came together. They wanted to create a system that would enable consultations at government levels. Once the governments agreed, it was deemed necessary to have another body where the people of Africa could be seated together to discuss matters as the people's representatives. So, a Parliament was created, and this is where we are, the Pan-African Parliament. I head that delegation, but other Members include, our own Sen. (Prof.) Kamar. Also, from the National Assembly, we have Hon. Esther Passaris, Hon. Joseph Kalasinga Majimbo, and Hon. Rahab Mukami. Five people were sent, like all 55 countries of Africa. The delegation participated in an election. This was an extraordinary meeting which was called so that we could have an election. So that the country can know what happens at PAP; in the Pan-African Parliament, we follow the African Union principle of rotation, so that if the President of the Pan-African Parliament comes from the Southern Caucus, the next time it is the Eastern, the next time it is Northern, and we go on rotating like that. These elections were done. It was a successful election. It brought order to the Parliament of Africa. It is good to note that the newly elected committee, which we call the Bureau, is President, Hon. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira. The First Vice- President was Hon. (Prof.) Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf. The Second Vice-President was Hon. Ashebiri Gayo, and the Third Vice President was Hon. Lucia Dos Passos. The Fourth Vice-President was Hon. Djidda Mamar Mahamat. It was a brief session, and some issues made the Parliament not work for some time, but after this election, those issues were resolved, and the Pan-African Parliament could move forward. I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire delegation that went there. We worked well and made sure that Kenya was well represented during these campaigns and even during these elections in every part. Before I sit, it is important for me to say the following. We had an important engagement with our High Commission in South Africa. The High Commission in South Africa has expressed its desire to make it clear that Kenya and South Africa have long relationships. Since South Africa gained independence and its first democratically elected president in 1994, we have had a good relationship with South Africa. However, when it comes to trade, the message is that we still have an unfavourable trade balance between the two nations. Although Kenya is a big economy, South Africa exports to Kenya high-value items. For example, they have a BMW factory there. When they sell those items, all our agricultural and other products measure little against what they send to this country. This is a message from the High Commission. It is time that Kenyans took opportunities that have been provided in South Africa. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}