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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is \"ought to lead\". May I make that correction. I would like to give hon. Members a brief background as to why Kenya, as a country, is part of the Great Lakes Conference. The Great Lakes Conference is an initiative which is supposed to deal with issues of regional conflict in the Great Lakes Region that consists of 11 countries. Kenya is part of this conference to try and address; the root causes of conflict which may, include historic issues, such as the artificial creation of State boundaries in colonial times, conflict over resources like the one we have between L. Victoria and R. Nile, issues of scarcity of land which led to genocide in Rwanda and Burundi as well as things across borders such as trading in small arms, local militia and cattle rustling. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Conference is also supposed to address factors that aggravate conflict, the general wider issues of poverty, ignorance, poor infrastructure, unemployment, bad governance, ethnicity and tribalism as well as the unequal distribution of resources. Finally, the Conference is supposed to come up with solutions for conflict resolution whether it is disarmament or building the economies of the 11 countries. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, State action on this particular regional conflicts was confirmed at a meeting held in Nairobi on 14th and 15th, December, 2006. They came together under the name October 17, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4525 \"The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region\". They signed a pact which contained ten protocols. It was signed by the following Heads of States on behalf of their respective member countries: 1. His Excellency Jose Edwardo Dos Santos; President of the Republic of Angola. 2. His Excellency Francois Boziz; President of Central African Republic. 3. His Excellency Joseph Kabila; President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 4. His Excellency Paul Kagame; President of the Republic of Rwanda. 5. His Excellency Jakaya Miricho Kikwete; President of the United Republic of Tanzania. 6. His Excellency Levi Mwanawasa; President of the Republic of Zambia. 7. His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza; President of the Republic of Burundi. 8. His Excellency Denis Sasungweso; President of the Republic of Congo. 9. His Excellency Mwai Kibaki; President of the Republic of Kenya. 10. His Excellency Omar Hassan Ahmed El Bashir; President of the Republic of Sudan. 11. His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni; President of the Republic of Uganda. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the pact that was signed by these Heads of States is a 24-page document with attachments and appendixes of another 300 pages containing specific pacts. I would like to speak about the different protocols within this pact very briefly. I would be asking the seconder of this Motion and other contributors to dwell on the specifics. The protocols include a Protocol on Non-Aggression and Mutual Defence in the Great Lakes Region, Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Protocol on Judicial Co-operation to co-operate in matter of extradition, judicial investigation and prosecution, Protocol on Prevention and Punishment of Genocide and War Crime, Protocol against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources, Protocol on Specific Reconstruction and Development in the Region and Protocol on Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence Against Women and Children. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it also contains Protocol on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in matters created by internal conflicts and displacement, Protocol on Property Rights of Returning Persons, including refugees, Protocol on the Management of Information and Communication, including promotion of freedom of expression and media. There are also subsequent programmes of action in democracies in governments, economic development, regional integration, humanitarian, social and environmental issues. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Pact also says the mechanism established will be funded by special funds set up by the African Development Bank (ADB). There shall be a secretariat which shall be based in Nairobi. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you can see that it is far wide reaching. Our concern is that although this Pact was signed in December, 2006, very little has been done. This is particulary the case with Kenya which shares this initiative. Kenya has not ratified this Pact. In Kenya, protocols are ratified by the Minister concerned or the Attorney-General taking it to the Cabinet and having it gazetted. This has not happened. Therefore, not only has the Government not ratified the Pact, but also failed to implement it. Kenya is a leader in the region. I really think that it is our responsibility to make sure that we ratify and lead by example. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to give an example of what we should expect from the Government once it ratifies. Let me talk about the Protocol on the Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence Against Women and Children. I have the protocol which was signed by the Heads of State here. That is the Protocol on the Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence Against Women and Children. What I can say is that Kenya is ahead on this issue. It is ahead of the other States in the conference. That is because we have passed the Sexual Offences Act. We also passed some laws yesterday, as we concluded the Employment Bill. They were to do with trafficking of girls and sexual slavery of women and girls. However, there are some things that we 4526 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 17, 2007 have not yet domesticated, including some issues relating to genocides and the recognition of rape as a war crime. That, I hope, would have been done in the International Crimes Bill. But this Bill has not reached the House. Therefore, we need to really talk about the implementation of anything that we sign. The other protocols which other Members will talk about are also an issue. We have not yet legislated or domesticated some of the issues which we promised to do in Dakar. Let us not forget that Kenya is still being accused of harbouring some war criminals. That issue has not been resolved. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, I would like to say that this Parliament needs to urge very much, whether it is the Attorney-General or the Minister for Foreign Affairs to, very urgently, take to the Cabinet this pact, have it ratified and set up the necessary mechanism for its implementation. We need to ask ourselves: Why is Kenya lagging behind on this? I can see that the Minister for Foreign Affairs is here. I would like to urge him to ratify that pact, so that we can make Kenyans proud. That way, even as we attend the Pan African Parliament, we are able to show what Kenya has done. We can then report progress on the Great Lakes Conference. With those very few remarks, I beg to move. I would like to ask Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry to second the Motion."
}