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"speaker_name": "Mr. Ethuro",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development",
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank you for the opportunity to contribute on this Motion. I want to say from the outset, that I equally support our participation in the PAP. However, if you look at the Articles, the first term of reference of the PAP is to play an advisory role. I think this is where the efficacy and utility of this particular institution comes to question. We have a multiplicity of organisations: We have the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). We are even saying that we need to fast-tract the COMESA by December, 2008, so that we can have a customs union which will bring on board countries like Egypt. As a region, we are expected to compete when we have not even consolidated the East African Community. 1716 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 12, 2007 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we, as Africans, are very good at setting up institutions. However, we are very lousy in ascertaining and maintaining them and making sure that they are productive. I was imagining that the Pan African Parliament (PAP) does not just become an executive branch of the African Union (AU). The PAP, which draws membership from partner African countries, should take up some of the issues which we think are of interest to our nation. It is not enough to bring this Report to the House. You have seen the interest of the House regarding the Report. This Report should not waste so much time of the House. It should be laid on the Table for the sake of being noted and we proceed to other business. However, since it has come before us, it is important. One of the key issues I agree with completely, which I would like to bring to the attention of hon. Members, is that of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process where Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda are playing an extremely important role in accomplishing the APRM process. This Parliament, as an institution, is not aligned to this process. This is a process where African Governments, institutions and citizenry, in general, should review themselves. We should not be waiting for conditional ties by the Western Governments in order for us to respond to democracy and accountability. We should take our own initiative as Africans. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of the East African Cables which is to be set up from the United Arab Emirates all the way to the Southern Sudan is part of the initiative by NEPAD under the East Coast, which is mentioned here. This will revolutionalise our information technology. I am not sure whether this Parliament knows the potential we are creating for this country. We need to give it the necessary support to ensure that this project comes to fruition sooner than later. On the issue of the APRM, out of 26 countries that acceded, only three countries have done it. Out of the 26, we have 20 which are referred to as the Heads of States and Governments Implementation Committee. I am happy to report that Kenya is one of the active members and sometimes I represent the country in those committees. But what is our moral standing as a country when our neighbours cannot pass the test of accountability? I thought the whole purpose of changing from the OAU to AU was to ensure that the clause of non-interference was deleted from the statutes of the AU so that we can be able, at the very minimum, to condemn any other state that does not subscribe to good governance. When our representatives go to South Africa, they should talk about these issues. We are part of the African Caribbean and the Pacific Countries (ACP) that is supposed to be negotiating with the European Union (EU). We go there as Africans and we are in a very poor bargaining position. We are just bystanders and the European Ministers do not take us seriously. They do not even attend those meetings. They send their commissioners or civil servants. Then we should as well send our own civil servants. I do not disagree with the institutions. However, let us propose and formulate institutions that will serve the needs of the African people. Let us have institutions that we know, at the end of the day when our representatives come back from the PAP, they have issues bearing on the needs of this country. I will also ask my colleagues who are in this House to take this business very seriously. Recently, while launching Vision 2030, as a Ministry, we invited hon. Members to come for briefing. Only one showed up. When you look at the contribution on this Motion, you will see that the first four contributors are Members of the PAP. It was proposed by Mr. Oparanya, seconded by Mr. Salat, and then Mrs. Mwendwa, Ms. Ndung'u and Mr. Mwancha made their contributions. Those are all Members of the PAP. This Report must have the utility to some of us who do not go to the PAP. So, to what extent should we trust that we have a sense of belonging to the institution? These are issues I want us to take very seriously. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, under the NEPAD Programme, again, we have identified the Sudan-Kapenguria Road. As we speak now, the bridge that connects Kenya to Sudan has collapsed. The entire Turkana District has been cut off from the rest of the country. These are June 12, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1717 issues that I expect our Ministry to provide leadership in ensuring that every partner country plays a role that will promote Pan Africanism. We have to start from our own neighbourhood. Let us connect ourselves to Sudan. That is a ready market we can exploit as a country. Let us ensure that we are connected to Uganda and Tanzania and to the new countries that are joining us; Burundi and Rwanda. We need to welcome them and consolidate our position even before we move on. I know that hon. Angwenyi is always on my side and because I agree with him that we need to dispose of this matter, I support."
}