HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 198946,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/198946/?format=api",
"text_counter": 89,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Sungu",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 324,
"legal_name": "Gor Eric Sungu",
"slug": "gor-sungu"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. This is one of the most important Motions that this Parliament has been asked to discuss. The question of peace and democracy is now of major importance in the entire world. The key words in this Motion are that: \"Kenya is a key signatory to the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region.\" This was adopted and signed in December, 2006. The second set of key words are: \"Kenya is now the Chair of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.\" The other key words are: \"We, as a Government in this country, have consistently condemned all crimes against humanity.\" When the Government gets involved in discussions of international nature, when they spend money and time, when Government officials spend endless hours negotiating and then we fail to ratify a protocol; I beg to submit that, that is a mistake of the first order. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let us for once look at what the Great Lakes is because some may not know exactly what it is. The Great Lakes Region starts from Angola to Kenya, from the Central Africa Republic to Zambia, including the DRC Congo and the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania. If you look at this region, you will realise of how much importance it is, to the entire world. This is a large group of persons containing many human beings. If you look at the map of Africa, this is where the natural resources of Africa are concentrated; from the depth of the Congo Forest, Lake Victoria, to the mines in the DRC, to Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. Yet, this is the area which is now prone to conflict. It is a shame to us as living human beings having been educated in schools and having the opportunity to serve in a Parliament like this, that we cannot and will not force our Government to recognize that it is important that this area needs to be looked at. Other governments have taken this matter seriously. I happened to visit the United States of America at one time. I want to inform the Hon. Minister that I had a chance to discuss with the State Department as a foreign visitor. At that time, the American Government had already established a desk on the Great Lakes Region. It is of importance. If you see what has happened in this region, there was the Rwanda genocide from the 1950s onwards and you can see what happened in Uganda from the time of Idi Amin up to now. If you see what is happening in Sudan and next door in Somalia, you will realise that it is important that we discuss about the Great Lakes Region. We should not just use mere words when we talk, but we should be serious about them. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Article 5 deals with Protocol on Non-Aggression and Mutual Defence in the Great Lakes Region. That one is government to government. There should be no problem. However, the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance in Article 6 is important. This is because it asks member States to undertake to promote and observe democracy and good governance in accordance with the protocol of democracy and good governance and in particular to 4530 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 17, 2007 promote and observe democratic principles and standards. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this protocol calls upon the Government to set up institutions to promote good governance through rule of law and respect of human rights through constitutional systems based on separation of powers, political pluralism and regular free and fair democratic and credible elections. It also calls upon governments to ensure that there is participatory transparent and responsible management of business, including public institutions and property. These issues are pertinent to our Republic and Kenyans. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Protocol on Judicial Co-operation raises issues on co- operation of matters of extradition, judicial investigation and prosecution. We have the Court on the Rwanda in Arusha. There is one Felicien Kabuga who has been accused of genocide activities in Rwanda. It is known in international circles that this man resides in Kenya under the protection of successive governments; the former Government and even the current Government. The security officials in this country must tell us where Kabuga is. He is an international fugitive. Why on earth can we not trace such a person? We dare sit and host a discussion which leads to such a protocol and yet, we are not following it! It is a shame on us. If we will spend time talking, let us walk the talk. Let us not just talk for the sake of pleasing the public and then we do not do anything about it. This amounts to a waste of public resources, time and conning the public of Kenya. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at the question of resources, I come from the Lake shores and this is one of the most important resources that one could ever dream of having. The River Nile rolls over 4,000 kilometres to reach the Mediterranean. The major sources of the River Nile are in Kenya and the Highlands of Burundi and Rwanda. As the Egyptians and Sudanese take advantage of this resource by using it for irrigation, we, in Kenya, are suffering floods. We are unable to irrigate our land and construct power plants to ensure that we have adequate energy. This Treaty that we are talking about addresses the question of fair sharing of these resources. This is one of the things that this Government ought to look at. In terms of communication, Kenya is now ahead of the rest of this region. We are now installing fibre optics right from Dubai and South Africa through the Port of Mombasa to Eldoret; it will reach Uganda and other countries. There are many nations in this world like Ethiopia which would like to take advantage of this. How can they do so, when we are not talking with them, so that we can share these resources? This will ensure that Kenya and this region becomes part and parcel of the international community in terms of communication, so that communication become cheaper. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the question of construction of highways, there is the Great North Road. Kenya is not taking advantage of its unique position in this region by constructing roads to Ethiopia, so that they can use the Port of Mombasa. Instead, we are competing with Durban because we have not constructed the roads. It takes a long time for goods to leave Mombasa to reach Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern Zaire. These are issues that are adequately addressed. I would like to request the Minister that when her Ministry sits down to negotiate this and the President makes very important speeches confirming their commitment--- If I may be allowed by the Standing Orders, let me quote from this Speech that was read by His Excellency the President when he was closing the last conference. It says:- \"We have made several important decisions regarding the future of the Great Lakes Region. The summit has culminated in adoption of various programmes and this ought to open a new chapter for the future of our region. Member States have committed to anchor bilateral relations on respect for principles of national sovereignty, transparency, integrity and interference in the internal affairs of October 17, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4531 member States.\" They talked about non-aggression and co-operation. They talked about prevention of conflict. His Excellency the President called upon all the leaders of the Great Lakes Region to show courage and implement to the letter and spirit this protocol. Has this Government implemented this protocol? Has it taken the first step to ratify the protocol? If you ask yourself those questions, you will know this Government has failed in that. They have failed miserably. It is incumbent upon this Parliament to ask this Government to take action immediately. It should walk the talk. It should not talk and do nothing about it. It should not spend public money on these issues and then do nothing about them because that is against the rule of law and the principles that we stand for. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}