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{
    "id": 16513,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/16513/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 393,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Ogindo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 120,
        "legal_name": "Martin Otieno Ogindo",
        "slug": "martin-ogindo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was also in the company of the Right Honorable Prime Minister as he was trying to mainstream the issue of Somalia. As a Committee, we visited the Kenyan Embassy in Somalia, which is here in Kenya. We believe that it is important that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Kenyan Embassy to Somalia, now plays its rightful role. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this can only be done if the mission is functional. As it is today, this Embassy is bordering on dis-functionality. It is important to have a serious focal point that is able to relay to this country what is happening in Somalia. In order to do that, the Embassy needs adequate personnel and funding. These two elements form part of our major recommendations. You realize that there have been serious abductions. There have been serious incursions on piracy. This would have been easier dealt with if we had a significant presence of a mission in Somalia. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, during the United Nations (UN) Assembly, several countries offered to open their missions in Mogadishu. It is only that way that the world can see what is happening in Somalia. I want to commend the Government of Kenya for having taken this decisive action to pursue the Al Shabaab deep into Somalia. I want to encourage that it is now time for Kenya to rally the international world and redefine their mission there. This time round, it should be to ensure that there is a functional Government in Somalia. The solution to this problem lies in ensuring that there is a functional Government there. I have seen the international world come out on a need-be basis. There is a very strong presence of the international world in Libya. I think if fairness was to be the name of the game, NATO should have been first in Somalia before they went to Libya. But it is never late. I think it is important for the entire world to rally their forces because the stability in Somalia is important to us Kenya as the neighbours, this region and naturally to international stability. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know that this House is very much familiar with the happenings in Somalia, the dangers it poses to this country and it is on that account that we want to have a structure and framework of dealing with the issues of Somalia. I want to urge this House to adopt the Report of the Committee which made several recommendations that will go a long way in strengthening our Embassy in Somalia. This will go a long way in ensuring that we have a mechanism of dealing with the Somalia issue. With those few remarks, I beg to second."
}