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{
    "id": 3539,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/3539/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 384,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Onyonka",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 128,
        "legal_name": "Richard Momoima Onyonka",
        "slug": "richard-onyonka"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Mr. Joseph Gitari, the MP for Kirinyaga Central had sought a Ministerial Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as to the safety of Kenyans who are in Sudan following the issuance of the warrant of arrest against the Sudanese President hon. Omar Al-Bashir by the High Court in Nairobi on 28th November, 2011. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform the House that there are about 1,400 Kenyans working in Khartoum. Some of them are students. In fact, the exact number is 1,200 are working whereas 300 are students in various colleges and universities in Khartoum. Most of them also do work for international organizations. The rest of them are enrolled in local universities. The embassy has contacted most of them and informed them that it will remain open for business as usual. The channels of communication remain open for the Kenyans to contact the embassy on a 24 hourly basis in case there is any problem. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other question that my colleague has asked is what measures the Government of Kenya is putting in place to guarantee that Kenyans living and working in Sudan are safe. I think I have already explained that. He also wanted us to clarify the Government’s position concerning agreements such as the current Doha Initiative and bilateral and regional relations in view of the court order. The truth is that Kenya and Northern Sudan have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations over the years. Kenya has tried very hard to work very closely with the Government of Sudan in resolving the civil war in South Sudan, formulating the comprehensive peace agreement and seeking to resolve some of their standing issues which have existed before the referendum and post referendum in Sudan. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, His Excellency President Kibaki has, currently, as I speak to you, dispatched hon. Minister Moses Wetangula to Khartoum to go and have a meeting with President Bashir, so that we can then try and figure out how to resolve this issue which has become a problem to our two Governments. Thank you."
}