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{
    "id": 18854,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/18854/?format=api",
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    "content": "able to achieve for this country in the last few years. We need our territory secured. The integrity of our territory must not be violated whether by pirates or our hostile neighbours. We must ensure that we have proper monitoring, particularly our coastlines. Through this technology, we can monitor and improve our security. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are also aware that in planning this country, we need mapping. Through this technology, we can ably have proper planning. It is time that we asked ourselves where we went wrong; why we were left behind by the world and what we can do to catch up. When you look at the history of this country, the first satellite was launched in 1967. It is surprising that Kenya was one of the African countries that was able from its soil to launch a satellite in 1967. This was ten years after the super powers of this world had launched theirs. This was done in Ngomeni in the Coast Province. We are told this satellite was launched by the Italians. It is still being used by the Italians and we are only paid a limited amount. Had we studied what the Italians did and asked ourselves how much it cost them, and actually realized how much the Italian Government has benefited from this satellite that was launched from Ngomeni on our soil, great benefits would have come to our country. Had we actually launched this satellite then great benefits would have come to our country. When we look at our defence budget, it is one of the largest budgets in this country. Over Kshs40 billion of our national Budget goes towards defence. For us to launch a satellite we only require Kshs1 billion or so. It is just a matter of getting our priorities right as a nation. We could say in this Kshs40 billion budget for defence, we set aside some money to launch a satellite that will bring great benefits to this country. It is all a matter of actually realizing and getting our priorities right. Through this Motion, we are urging the Government as a matter of urgency to come up with a space policy and the necessary laws that will put in our statute books the necessary legal framework that will facilitate the launch of this satellite to enable us move beyond the ordinary horizons and catch up with the rest of the world. I want to thank Dr. Otichilo for bringing this Motion. I would urge the Government that many good Motions have come to this House. They have been passed but implementation has been lacking. We would hope that this good Motion does not also gather dust like the other good Motions that we have brought to this House and no action has been taken. We need to do something in this area in order to develop our country. We know that in the 1980s we did other things that today, had we succeeded, we could be far ahead in terms of development of our country. We still remember that in the 1970s we had the idea of developing a fertilizer factory which did not take place. We have passed the Motion in this House and we do hope the Government will take action in implementing the resolution of this House to set up a fertilizer factory. We did successfully set up a bullet factory. We spent millions in setting up this bullet factory. Had we the foresight of this Motion and realized the importance of what Dr. Otichilo proposed today; had we set up a satellite at the same time we established a bullet factory and a fertilizer factory, Kenya would be different today. I wholeheartedly support this Motion. Thank you."
}