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{
    "id": 234581,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234581/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 176,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Konchella",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 322,
        "legal_name": "Gideon Sitelu Konchella",
        "slug": "gideon-konchella"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I said that there are about 50,000 registered refugees. Kenyans have also run to these camps to seek food because of the vagaries of nature such as drought. In Dadaab Refugee Camp, for example, there are more than 4,400 people who are registered as refugees. We know some of them are Kenyans. We have their documents within our Central November 15, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3713 Registry. They had to run away because of problems. These problems are due to the destruction of the environment by the refugees moving from wherever they come from with their cattle. They have caused a lot of overgrazing. This proposed law will specify who can come to Kenya, how they should come to Kenya and what they should bring along with them. By so doing, we will control and provide for our people. What is happening now is that most refugees do not want to go back to their countries because they are very comfortable in Kenya. Indeed, we tried to move some Sudanese out of Kakuma Refugee Camp. Out of the 10,000 we requested to go back to Sudan, 7,000 came back. Why? Because they are more comfortable here. They have schools for their children, including teacher training colleges and universities. These facilities are not there in their countries. The proposed law will address some of these issues where, if there is no reasonable ground for them to be staying as refugees, the Government can ask them to go back. If they refuse to do so, they will be taken back by force. Right now, there is little we can do about it because we have no law to forcefully repatriate them. Most of them deliberately refuse to go back to their respective countries simply because they are very comfortable here. Refugees, while they are protected in every right, must also feel obligated to go back to their respective home countries to develop them. This is because staying behind and idling will not help this country or the refugees themselves. Those refugees who have skills and are able to contribute to the development of this country should be given the opportunity to apply for jobs and even work in our institutions. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, our brothers and sisters from Uganda worked in this country for a long time during their stay here as refugees. They manned some of our big hospitals, including Kenyatta Hospital until we were able to train our own doctors to run the hospitals. So, those who have the skills, and can be employed in our market, should be allowed that opportunity. We also recognise the fact that members of the Somali community are contributing to the economy of this country in terms of remitting money to their own people. We want to encourage those who are remitting money for the purpose of helping refugees. We realised that up to Kshs60 billion is remitted in a year for the purpose of supporting refugees in Kenya. This money is used to buy goods and services that are required by refugees in Kenya and by extension, Somalia. We should allow these people to work in Kenya so that they can be useful to this economy. This is the second time this Bill is being debated. Previously, we addressed the issues that were raised by hon. Members. Yesterday, I read out the concerns that hon. Members had raised and which this Bill, seeks to address. The amendments that had been proposed by the Departmental Committee on Administration, National Security and Local Authorities, which met in Mombasa for two days to deliberate on this Bill are part of the many amendments which our Ministry has looked at. We shall include those amendments in order to enrich this law so that it serves to protect this country and refugees. With those remarks, I beg to move."
}