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{
    "id": 1481237,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1481237/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 233,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Okenyuri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. First, I wish to support this report by Members of the Pan-African Parliament who represented us in South Africa led by the able Senator of Tana River, Sen. Danson Mungatana. Sen. Mungatana has been very consistent, especially anytime he represents this House in international fora. He quickly comes back and shares lessons learned with the Members of this House. I know that some of us who are following in those footsteps are going to reap big and also share with the rest of the Kenyans who are watching some of these discussions. Allow me to just note a key area of interest and this is on trade. As a Member of the Senate Standing Committee on Trade, earlier this year, we were fortunate enough to have an address by the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), H.E. Wamkele Mene. He took us through what their agenda is and how they want to synergize with African countries. I note that there is already political goodwill from Kenya as a country led by the President. He been on the frontline pushing for Africa to be very open to trade and encouraging the rest of the Kenyans who are in those other countries to participate. It is a very good opportunity for Kenyans to also take this chance and trade in South Africa, and also for South Africans to cross borders and come and trade with Kenyans. That is the essence of a borderless Africa, especially when it comes to trade. Also, whatever issues are discussed in the Pan-African Parliament are very key, especially to Africans. That Parliament represents legislators who have been sent from different countries in Africa. We tend to think that whatever proposal originates from brains in the Pan-African Parliament should address most of the challenges we as a continent and as a country are facing. We should have more of these proposals and solutions that are being offered by the Pan-African Parliament being implemented in the member states so that we can make progress. Let it not be that after every mission, we still are revisiting the same agenda we. We need to make progress, so that there is value in investing in our African states. Africa is a very key continent and that is why other countries in the rest of the world want to follow closely what we are engaging in as a continent. Look at the African Union (AU) elections that we are pitching up for with the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. It is very instrumental and that is why citizens need to realise that it is not just about the interest of a country, but they are equally affected by what goes on around the continent. Fundamentally, the challenges that Africans in Kenya are experiencing are the same challenges the Africans in Ghana and Botswana are experiencing and solutions are somehow similar. Therefore, I urge my colleague Members of Parliament to support this report and walk the talk from some of these proposals. This is to give the Members who normally go to represent us in the Pan-African Parliament a reason to agitate strongly for some of the proposals we are giving. 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."
}