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{
    "id": 1557524,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1557524/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 232,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support this Special Motion on the Approval of Nominees for Appointment as Ambassador, Permanent Representative and Consuls-General. As the Chairperson of the Committee has said, these nominees are seasoned civil servants. Some of them have served in very senior positions. Eng Tum was a Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health for many years. He then moved to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports. He did exceptionally well as a Principal Secretary. This will also be a very good way of serving the country in another capacity other than that of an accounting officer in a Ministry. He has what it takes to serve our country. His experience in the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports has positioned him very well. It is good that he is going to a country that is not very far from the capital, in Kinshasa. There are challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He is in a good position to midwife the issues that bedevil the East African Community (EAC) engagements in the DRC and those of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). I believe Eng Tum will also do very well in promoting trade between our country and DRC. A lot of enterprises in this country, including two large commercial banks, do business in Kinshasa, DRC. Therefore, we need the presence of an ambassador who commands respect, not only in the business community, but also one who can engage informally and informally with both governments. Eng Tum, having been a Principal Secretary, sits at that very good position to engage effectively and meaningfully with both governments to smoothen the trade opportunities that exist between us and DRC. We had challenges with this particular post given rejection of one of the nominees by the House. I cannot remember his name, but he is a gentleman who was nominated for the DRC job. What is the other mission, Vice-Chairperson? There was a gap with the movement of the last ambassador to Kinshasa. It is not good to leave this post without a substantive ambassador representing our country, considering the challenges that I have mentioned. With the war in the DRC, we miss trade opportunities. Kenyan businesspeople have many huge investments there. It is important that we have a substantive ambassador there. Hon. Temporary Speaker, as it has been said, Ms Susan Nakhumicha’s stint at the Ministry of Health revealed her as a very articulate person, a go-getter, and someone able to effectively communicate what the Ministry was doing. At some point, we missed her in her articulation and push for the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). I am happy because that work has been taken over by my predecessor, Hon. Aden Duale. I am very confident that, as I said the other week, he will do well to actualise Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in this country. The principal secretaries were sworn in this morning. The Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr Oluga, is a seasoned professional in the medical field. I believe he will also do very well together with Hon. Duale. I am saying this because I am certain that the foundation that was set by Cabinet Secretary Nakhumicha, especially in midwifing the process of moving from NHF to SHIF, is very good. This puts her at a very good position to now serve as a Permanent Representative locally, within the permanent mission of Kenya to the UN- Habitat in Nairobi. She will also be available for consultations with the Ministry of Health, where she will be required from time to time, as a former Cabinet Secretary, to consult and offer guidance to those who are there. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}