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{
    "id": 223721,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/223721/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 209,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Murungaru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 227,
        "legal_name": "Christopher Ndarathi Murungaru",
        "slug": "christopher-murungaru"
    },
    "content": "As has been mentioned by a good number of hon. Members, we cannot gainsay - overstate - the importance of properly securing our waters. Apart from the financial losses that this country is likely to incur as a result of breaching contractual obligations, there is a cost which is far beyond and enormous than the loss of this contractual amount. Today, as we are talking, perhaps this country is feeding more than half a billion people in Asia or more than 200 million--- I am talking about Government statistics and I ought to know. Our waters are fished with impunity because we cannot do anything about it. Our 200 nautical miles in the Indian Ocean are overfished by foreign vessels and it will only take a bit of patrolling for us to enforce our rights. This is because it is not a favour. Those are our waters according to international treaties and all we are obliged to do is to mind that God-given natural resource. The value of that is far greater than the cost of this ship and all others that we have. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, obviously, I have a personal interest in this matter and I should declare it. I was the Minister who gave the green light for that ship to be procured. I have said it before, publicly, that if I have to do it again, I will do exactly that because as we had stated earlier, with regard to the procurement process - I am happy that the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations has been able to verify that - I was advised by people who know, for example, my former Shadow Minister, Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry. I do not know if he is still a Shadow Minister now that I am not the real thing!"
}