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{
    "id": 247124,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/247124/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 215,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Sungu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 324,
        "legal_name": "Gor Eric Sungu",
        "slug": "gor-sungu"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not know whether the hon. Members consider this debate boring. If they are bored, they could actually withdraw from the Chamber. This matter is so important. I am concerned that this country should look into this aspect. In fact, the Chamber should now be full to capacity when we debate such matters. Therefore, I beseech hon. Members to take this debate seriously and hear the voice of Kisumu. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, President Yoweri Museveni said at Safari Park Hotel that all that Somalia needed was an army. You can see what is happening in Somalia. Right now, rival faction groups are fighting in Somalia despite the fact that we have tried to help them over and over again to raise their country from the ashes that the late Siad Barre left. It is, therefore, very important that we look into these issues. We should be able to afford an African army to keep the peace in Darfur, Somalia and elsewhere, instead of relying on the United Nations. That is why we must also look into the issue of coming up with a proper budget for the Pan African Parliament. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have talked about trade issues. The report actually talks about such issues. However, I am very much worried, just like one of my colleagues who spoke here a few minutes ago, that the report talks of making Africa have a common Chamber of Commerce which will lead to the elimination of Customs Duty and other taxes. We must also look at ourselves. We must be warry of issues of globalization and the problems that come with the process. I am afraid that one day, Kenya may lose its Independence if we do not look at regional issues properly and accept them as they come because they have been forced down our throats by foreigners through foreign ideologies. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I say so because the COMESA Treaty that we ratified is now killing the Kenyan sugar industry. The treaty is now allowing us to compete with Egypt and other more powerful economies. Traders in those countries import sugar from none-COMESA countries, re-pack it and claim that it is Egyptian produce. That way, we end up killing our own industry. If this kind of thing is allowed to happen, it could destroy this country. That is why I want to advise that when it comes to harmonisation of trade and looking afresh into Customs tariffs, that would be fair enough. However, when it comes to eliminating boundaries in terms of trade like we have in the COMESA Treaty, we must tread carefully because we could actually lose our Independence. I fear that the more powerful nations in Africa will dominate us. We already know of economies which are more powerful than ours because they relied on apartheid. I hate apartheid to the bone. I am really sympathetic to an hon. Member of this House who appeared to somehow glorify apartheid, arguing that it did build South Africa. Whatever comes out of anything devilish is June 14, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1387 devilish. Therefore, the Pan African Parliament should as well represent the aspirations of Kenyans and this Parliament which appointed hon. Members to that Parliament. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to repeat what has already been said by one of my colleagues; that, it is high time hon. Members of the East African Legislative Assembly and those of the Pan African Parliament from Kenya to be elected directly by the Kenyan public during general elections. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}