Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1547926,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1547926/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 98,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Musalia Mudavadi",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 84,
        "legal_name": "Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi",
        "slug": "musalia-mudavadi"
    },
    "content": "being or economic status of refugees, which then determined the level of rations allocated to certain families compared to others. These are issues that, if not managed well, can also create a lot of tension in the refugee camps. This may be part of the reason that there could have been some challenges recently in Kakuma Refugee Camp amongst others. I would like to emphasize that, we, as a Government, do not want to participate in any programme that is fully funded by us. We can only handle our position in the context of international obligations. If the refugees are going to be here, then institutions like the UNHCR, World Food Programme (WFP) and other organisations supporting this programme will need to be engaged and urged to contribute more effectively. This will ensure that Kenya's resources are not fully deployed for that. Secondly, we do not want to have a situation where communities feel that refugees are enjoying a better quality of life than Kenyan citizens. These are very delicate conversations that keep going on between us, UNHCR and the host communities where the refugees reside. It would be wrong if I made all these statements without appreciating the generosity and the humanitarian nature of the communities that have hosted these refugee camps for 35 to 36 years. It is not an easy undertaking. It brings a lot of pressure on the resources in those areas. Another important aspect is the integration of refugees, which must be approached carefully. Our goal is to transition away from a situation where refugees are drawing from Kenyan resources. They must be placed in a position where they can contribute to growing the wealth of this country, rather than taking from the people of Kenya. The whole Shirika plan is premised on these basic principles and a few others. Another point I would like to touch on is that hon. Boni Khalwale highlighted the ongoing issue of protracted insecurity in these regions as well as recounting the loss of many honourable Kenyans due to this conflict. Additionally, hon. Mungatana raised the issue of compensation. I want to be very candid about this issue and not to belittle the challenges we are facing, but the truth is that insecurity persists in certain regions. This insecurity often stems from disputes over pasture, ethnicity or scramble for resources in those areas. We have given an example of Marsabit. You will also recall the recent loss of General Ogola in Baringo, who was on a mission addressing internal conflicts. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we still have significant work to do to address cultural practices and provide meaningful alternatives that enable people to earn a proper livelihood without causing loss of lives. I want to point out the efforts being made by the Government in Marsabit to open up the areas. The development of the road network that we all know, which is making significant progress, will eventually extend further and connect to Garissa. This massive investment undertaken jointly by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank is designed to create more economic opportunities and facilitate growth in the region. It is not the intention of the Government of Kenya to neglect or disregard anyone. The challenge lies in acquiring more resources and deploying them progressively to these areas. 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."
}