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{
    "id": 2915,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/2915/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 169,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Foreign Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the last and more important issue is that Kenya is the chair of the CPA implementation committee of IGAD. Although Southern Sudan is independent, there are several outstanding issues. There is South Kordofan that is still outstanding, the Blue Nile State, the un-demarcated boundary and citizenship issues. Above all, there is the issue of Abyei. President Bashir stayed all these conditions and gave us two weeks to observe the developments and see how further we can deal with the issue. But let me say that when the judgement was made, as the Foreign Affairs Minister for this country, I was reached by the media. It should not be lost that I am a lawyer of over two decades standing in this country. I said that this is a judgement in error. This is what every lawyer says when we go to the Court of Appeal to appeal against any judgement. I also said that this is a judgement incapable of obedience. This is what every good lawyer says when you go to court on appeal. I also said that this is a judgement in error of law. The law is very clear and I do not want to go into it because the Attorney- General is appealing against this ruling. At no time did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya say that we shall not obey the court order. The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that it is a judgement incapable of obedience. These are not one and the same thing. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am a lawyer and I participated in bringing to this country this Constitution at Bomas, Naivasha and in this House. I feel saddened for some activists to start saying out there that I said “do not obey a court order.” I have never said that and will not say that. Saying “a judgement is incapable of obedience” is not saying that we will not obey a court order. Let me finish by saying that the Government is not about the Executive, the Judiciary or Parliament. It is about all of us; the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature. We all form the Government and we have a duty to protect the interests of this country. Obviously, all the six sanctions I have listed here that Sudan was taking against Kenya, were going to hurt this country and our economy. These issues were also going to hurt innocent Kenyans working and living in Sudan, our soldiers who are keeping peace in Sudan and above all, the image of this country as a peacemaker and leader in pursuit of peace in this region. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is the message that I wanted to give to Parliament. I thank hon. Haji for accompanying me. We did meet you in Khartoum as well, and you fully understood the message that we went to deliver. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir."
}