HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 234566,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234566/?format=api",
"text_counter": 161,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. J. Nyagah",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 269,
"legal_name": "Joseph Nthiga Nyagah",
"slug": "joseph-nyagah"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to support this very important Bill that has been brought to this House. This is such an important Bill and I hope that all of us will support it fully. It is long over- due and it should have been brought to the House many years ago. Historically, it is obvious that this country has hosted refugees from almost every neighbouring country since Independence. We have hosted people from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. It is for that reason that Kenya has gained great experience in dealing with the issue of refugees. It is important for us to have a proper Kenyan law to deal with the issue of refugees in our country. It is biblical, and I am sure that the Quran would also support this; that, we have a responsibility to look after refugees. They are human beings and we must look after them. Secondly, today, we might complain that we have very many refugees. Indeed, we have very many refugees. I am not suggesting that what happened to them will happen to us, but it can happen to us. There is no country which is run by angels. Countries are run by human beings and the mistakes that other countries have made could one day be made by this country. I hope that we do not make those mistakes. It is, therefore, important for us to have appropriate laws so that in the unlikely event that we also found ourselves in a situation like that, we would also be treated properly by the host countries; where we would find ourselves. Kenya has signed many international agreements that deal with this subject. Therefore, it is important for us to domesticate some of those laws and agreements that we signed and that we have been working under in an unstructured manner. As we move to this field, it is good to learn from our experience. The best contribution is for us to continue to play the positive role that we have played, of a peace keeper in the region. Kenya must never give up the responsibility of 3710 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 15, 2006 encouraging our neighbouring countries to live in peace, no matter what it takes, and no matter what costs are involved. It is cheaper for us than to allow a country to get to the point of Somalia, where we are then left withholding big numbers of refugees in this country. I would like to encourage Kenya to continue working in its foreign policy under this Ministry, to ensure that we are seen to continue playing that role. Part of the reason why we have not suffered as much as we could have is because of the active role that the Government has played and we would like to encourage it to continue doing so. The Government should not take positions that would be unfavourable for Kenya. It is very easy for neighbouring countries to influence a few people in Government, and for the Government to make the wrong decisions which can be dangerous for the entire Kenyan nation. So, I hope that the Minister, working with his colleague in Foreign Affairs, will work along those lines. We keep refugees on behalf of the world. We keep them on behalf of the international community. It is only fair, therefore, that the international community helps us in a big way and not just by giving us temporary tents and food for the refugees, but by going further and developing the infrastructure around the areas occupied by refugees. I would have expected that by now, the Government would have negotiated with the donor community and the UN agencies to ensure that we have real facilities around Kakuma, Lokichoggio, Dadaab and in other places where refugees are found. I would have expected, as some of my colleagues have said, that there would be water, electricity and health facilities of higher standards than we see, in areas occupied by refugees. I would have expected that as Sudan becomes normalised, the international world would help us in developing Lokichoggio as a major hub of trade and airlines so that it does not die once the Sudanese have gone back home. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would have expected the Government to extend negotiations, not only in areas where there are refugees, but in areas beyond. It is a pity that after we have looked after the Sudanese for so long, Lokichoggio could die. Why should it die when we have been very good to them? I hope that the Government will look into that issue so that it can help us. There are many educated refugees. We benefited in the early 1970s from Ugandan doctors and teachers who educated our people to become doctors. They played a very important role. As we tighten the rules on refugees, I also want Kenyans to know that refugees have played important roles in the development of the country in the past. The educated ones should help this country. We should not be very tight in dealing with them and fail to take advantage. Countries like America have benefited from foreigners, some of them refugees. We should also take advantage of the productive ones, especially the ones who can run big businesses or be professionals to help us develop our country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to conclude by supporting this Bill and look forward to it being enacted into law. I hope we will have a Commissioner in charge of refugees; a man highly qualified in conflict resolution; of international reputation; and a man who can play the role well. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}