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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity to stand and support the adoption of this Report. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we were in Midrand during this session of the PAP, there were several reports that were adopted. One, of course, was the report on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on Kenya. It was adopted together with those of Ghana and Rwanda. The report on Kenya was full of very many positive things, including the recognition that Kenya is the third largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa and moving along very fast. Our free primary education programme and the general freedom of political and civil rights were also recognised. However, it is important when looking at such a report we, as the national Parliament, address negative aspects in it. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the things that was pointed out was the colonial legacy of tribalism and historical imbalances. The report noted that the Government or the country has not yet been able to address effectively that legacy of tribalism and historical imbalances. The other thing which was not mentioned neither in the reports of Rwanda, Ghana nor of those other countries were the issues relating to gender, particularly the representation of women in Government offices and other offices. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to quote the report verbatim. It says: \"Although the current Government has appointed more women to the Cabinet and nominated more women to Parliament than previously done, the number are still dismal. Up until 2005, there were three women Cabinet Ministers out of 36, four June 12, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1713 women Assistant Ministers out of 39, six women Permanent Secretaries out of 25, 18 women out of 222 Members of Parliament, no woman Provincial Commissioner, two women out of 71 District Commissioners and eight women out of 57 judges.\" Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the manner in which women are represented is not at the same level as the democracy at which Kenya should be. The report has recommended that this Parliament does debate and adopt the following Bills: The Affirmative Action Bill, The Equality Bill and the Domestic Violence (Family Protection) Bill. They have also talked about the need to change the Constitution to ensure that women's rights and their representation are well taken care of in the constitution. They did propose that this needs to be done through a new constitution. If not, through the proposals that we are making now through a minimum reform agenda. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to point out that the African Union (AU) has recommended that they would like to send a team of eminent persons to facilitate the resolution with regard to the constitution if we are not able to work it out ourselves. I am presuming now that bipartisan committee has been meeting will be able to resolve the issue. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, another report that was adopted during this session was on the African Common Position on Migration and Development. Globally, there are about 150 million migrants, out of whom, 50 million are Africans. Out of this 50 million, at least, 3 million are Kenyans. It means that we need to begin to address the causes of migration; whether they are negative or positive causes. We need to manage migration. How are we going to protect the rights of Africans in the diaspora? How do we protect sufficiently the rights of Kenyans abroad? How do we balance the brain- drain? Currently, most of our nursing staff are moving to South Africa. This is because most of the nurses in South Africa have moved to Europe. What is happening is that we have a brain drain. At the same time, we have our human resources who are not exactly bringing back those resources in another way back onto the continent. This is something now that the PAP has taken a position. This national Parliament and our Government, perhaps can also address the issue of migration in a more formal way. The PAP faces many challenges because it has no legislative role. This was put into the constitution that the PAP would not have a legislative role for the first five years. However, these five years are now coming to an end. There is need to propose amendment to the Constitutive Act to ensure that Members of Parliament who go to the PAP, one, are allowed to legislate. Secondly, so that they can be more effective, they do not actually have to be Members of this Parliament. It should operate in a manner in which the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is operating. We should be able to elect Members who go and report directly to the Parliament in Midrand. I am hoping PAP will be a little bit more aggressive and less afraid. Since we come from different countries whose democracies are at different levels, sometimes it appears that some Members from other countries are afraid to talk about certain issues and accept certain criticisms. Most of all, I think the PAP should be a place where we need to discuss issues such as reparation. Africa has been the brain basket of the West for a long time. Why can we not aggressively start to ask for what they took back? For example, Britain should give reparations to Kenya and Zimbabwe. Namibia should be able to get reparations from Germany. Congo should get reparations from Belgium. I think it is time that we have a braver face. I hope in the next PAP, the Kenyan delegation will be able to articulate those issues and continue to give leadership that is unafraid etcetera . Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, just speaking on behalf of the rest of my colleagues in the PAP, there has been a Ministerial Statement that has been directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, it has not yet been answered because the security of the Members of the PAP is something that needs to be addressed. During the negotiations for the seat of the PAP, South Africa was able to assure all member states that they will provide adequate security, so that the seat of the PAP could be there. Those of us from Kenya, did agree to it because we had that 1714 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 12, 2007 assurance. Otherwise, Kenya itself would have offered our country as the seat of that Parliament. However, it has become very rough on us; not only to the Members from Kenya, but Members from the rest of the region as well. We have very many security issues. The insecurity in South Africa is compared to no other African country, which is not undergoing conflict. Therefore, I think that this is something that should be recognised. As we move on, the Kenya Government needs to know that this is a matter that needs to be seriously addressed. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}