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{
    "id": 150221,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/150221/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 376,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "June 3, 2009 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1049 Dr. Nuh",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to second this Motion moved by the leader of delegation to the IPU Conference in Geneva, in 2008. Whilst IPU held its conference in 2006 in this country and a follow up for the meeting in Geneva, a workshop was held under the auspices of IPU on the role of Parliamentarians in peace and reconciliation at Safari Park Hotel, where we spent two days. There seems to be little or less awareness among hon. Members as to what IPU really stands for. This Parliament is a member of the IPU and by virtue of that, every hon. Member in the Kenya National Assembly, becomes a member of the IPU. The Kenyan delegation would not wish to be going to the IPU conferences just for the sake of it or just because other countries are sending delegations. It would add value if the recommendations and resolutions that are made in that conference are brought in earnest to this House and adopted. There should be awareness that such a conference took place and these were the resolutions. Parliamentarians are supposed to put this Government on its toes to make sure that the recommendations and resolutions carried in the IPU Conference are implemented to the letter. It would not be of much benefit if we send delegations and come back with report on the IPU resolutions. Delegations are mandated to table such reports in their respective Parliaments and make sure that their respective parliaments follow them to the letter. However, it takes eight to nine months since the conference took place for the House Business Committee (HBC) to find space when there is not much business in the House. I want to appeal to them to prioritize the reports from the IPU as soon as the delegations come back so that the issues which were discussed are fresh and hon. Members can know that this is the delegation that came back two or three weeks ago from a conference and would want to listen to the issues that were discussed in the conference. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the IPU Conference did take place again in Addis Ababa in April, 2009. But it is now that we are adopting the Report of the Geneva Conference that took place in 2008. The other IPU conference will be in Geneva in October, 2009 and we might not be in a position to adopt the report from Addis Ababa until the Geneva conference is over. It would not be of much value for us to go to these conferences if the HBC would not be taking cognizance that these reports need to be adopted and ratified by Parliament. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are so many issues which were covered in the IPU Conference in Geneva. The same thematic issues or topics were again covered in Addis Ababa including the overall role of the IPU towards effective peace keeping and prevention of conflicts. At the moment, when there was so much talk of threats from other countries, like the wrangles at our border with Uganda, this is the time to raise such issues. The hon. Members are urging the Kenyan Government to seek the assistance of United Nations (UN) in resolving some of the issues that seem to impact on our Statehood. This is the time that Parliament is supposed to take more seriously issues on IPU where matters of nations co-existing peacefully and harmoniously are discussed in detail. One of the topics that was discussed at length and which came up again in Addis Ababa was about nuclear arms proliferation and the Test-ban Treaty. We wondered how countries that are nuclear empowered were going at length to make sure that they protected their rights or measures. Kenya may not be envisaging a nuclear threat from countries that are nuclear armed because we are miles and miles away. But this is a real"
}