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{
    "id": 301906,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/301906/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, therefore, I would want to say in conclusion that no Government can work if it is isolated. See what is happening to North Korea for example. It is a pariah nation. We know what can happen, for example, if sanctions are applied against a country like Iran. This country must market itself. The Minister for Tourism travels abroad to go and market Kenya whenever he goes out of the country. The Minister for Water also needs to move around and negotiate with other countries. There are those who are giving this country loans but there are others who give this country grants. So, over and above the money which has been approved by Parliament, there is also that money which comes into this country in the form of grants. We cannot sit here and wait for somebody to come and access you and say that they want to give you a grant. We need to go out there and negotiate it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, so, do not look at the figures we have here as the money which is wasted or gone down the drain. I can give you a comparison to show the amount that we spend on these travels is peanuts compared to the amount of money that comes to the country as a result of those trips. Therefore, it would be very unwise for this august House to try to tie the hands of Ministers, or to tie them to their seats here in Nairobi. I would want to appeal to hon. Members of the House to know that it is very important for the Executive to be able to go out to negotiate on behalf of this country, to make friends with other countries, because this is how we are going to be able to get the capital that we require for the economic take off of this country."
}