{"id":370217,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/370217/?format=json","text_counter":207,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. F.K. Wanyonyi","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":2065,"legal_name":"Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi","slug":"ferdinard-kevin-wanyonyi"},"content":"Hon. Speaker, I support this Motion. I do not have the details of the issues that were raised by the East African countries, but I talk as a Kenyan. First of all, the EU, for example, is panicking because of the current situation in the sub- saharan region of Africa, which is attracting a lot of investments from the East. The Europeans are punishing us. When Obama came to Africa, I was following his speech in South Africa. It is like he is trying to make up for the time he lost. I see a problem in Europe and I cannot blame the African States, particularly Kenya. Here in Kenya we are exporting jobs. You and I know that we export cotton. The market price of export cotton is Kshs180 a kilo. When you import fabric from Europe the price is almost 580 per cent yet the cotton used is the one we exported. There is a tendency by the West to panic. It is good because this could enable us--- Hon. Speaker, days are gone when a Permanent Secretary and a Minister would sit in a hotel in town to sign a treaty with somebody and then come to announce to us what they have done. I do not understand the issues the East African countries are raising. Let us address the issues the EAC is raising in connection with this issue before we allow a country to sign. I was looking at figures and realized that the Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa is over US$20 billion. What was Obama bringing in South Africa? I think something close to US$10 billion for energy production. However, that is what South Africa is producing. It is so little yet they are asking to quickly sign the treaty. We have nothing as a country to lose if we refuse to sign. I urge this House to support this Motion."}