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"id": 17376,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Keynan",
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"legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
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"content": "As a result of this, Kenya has hosted many of the initiatives, including many of the transitional arrangements that have been put in place. Since Somalia plunged into civil war in 1991, Kenya has been playing a leading role. Indeed, Kenya sponsored most of the initiatives. As a result of being a regional diplomatic hub and important communication and infrastructural hub, a nation within the East African Community, and also a very important member of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Kenya has always played a pivotal role in finding a peaceful solution to the political crisis in Somalia. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is as a result of this that the leadership of this country decided to, instead of having this country’s diplomatic mission in Mogadishu, which would have been the ideal place in ordinary circumstances but which was not possible due to the security crisis, the Government decided to have the mission accredited to Somalia, but based in Nairobi. The purpose of any diplomatic mission is, first of all, to project, promote, protect and articulate the interests of that particular country. It is because of this that Kenya, as a leading nation in the East and Central Africa and in the Horn of Africa, has led the way by opening a mission among few missions, to Somalia to represent the interests of the Kenyan people in Somalia. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this mission has played a very important role, and I want to thank our first ambassador to Somalia, since Somalia plunged into civil war, hon. Mohamed Abdi Affey, who opened this mission as a pace setter. Under very difficult circumstances, hon. Affey and his team managed to bring together all the warring groups in Somalia and gave the Somali people some sense of hope and a semblance of peace. As a committee, we have seen the lasting impression of the work that was done by hon. Affey and his team. On behalf of the committee and on your behalf, as Members of Parliament, and on behalf of the people of Kenya, I want to thank hon. Affey and his team for their wonderful work. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the critical things that we learnt as a committee, when we visited this mission, was that this is the second Kenya Diplomatic Mission which is still based in Kenya. We have the Kenya Mission to the UN-HABITAT and the Kenya Mission to Somalia, which are based in Kenya. The uniqueness of these two missions still remains a challenge to the parent Ministry in the sense that even our own officers who have been posted to these two unique missions--- I call them “unique missions” because one of them is the Kenya Mission to the UN-HABITAT and the other one is the Kenya Mission to Somalia. I am glad that the Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security is here. The uniqueness of the Kenya Mission to Somalia, notwithstanding its location in Kenya, is something which we cannot overemphasise. Therefore, as we struggle to assist the people of Somalia to have lasting peace, we must also strengthen our own representation, so that we do not get sucked into that country’s political crisis. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is because of this that the mission requires all the necessary diplomatic, logistical, economic and security support for it to function in an ideal situation."
}