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{
    "id": 440431,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/440431/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 88,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "international obligations of the Republic? These international obligations of the Republic are contained in treaties, conventions, bilateral and multilateral agreements. Our Constitution is very clear as to the treaties to which Kenya is party to, and one of those treaties is the UN Charter. They are part of the laws of this country. I do not have to quote the relevant sections, but I am challenging you that I can quote it with my bad eyesight; I can quote Article 2(6), which deals with the supremacy of this Constitution. It says: (1) This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic and binds all persons and all State organs at both levels of Government. (2) No person may claim or exercise State authority except as authorised under this Constitution. (3) The validity or legality of this Constitution is not subject to challenge by or before any court or other State organ. (4) Any law, including customary law that is inconsistent with this Constitution is void to the extent of the inconsistency, and any act or omission in contravention of this Constitution is invalid. (5) The general rules of international law shall form part of the law of Kenya. (6) Any treaty or convention ratified by Kenya shall form part of the law of Kenya under this Constitution. Therefore, to the extent that we are parties to the UN Charter; and to the extent that under that Charter, member states can be called upon to contribute to peace keeping operations, that is perfectly lawful. In that respect, the deployment section that you quoted applies for deployment within Kenya. But if you read the entire thing, we are within law. So, Sen. Elachi, you are within the law; you are within the Constitution by bringing this Motion. But you have limited yourself too much on the area where Kenya is competent; where Kenya does not need to lobby anything because we are in demand. Mr. Speaker, Sir, where we have a weakness – and in you moving, actually you referred more to positions within the UN system. This portion should have been drafted in a manner which says “since we have done very well in the military operations, it shows the stuff that Kenyans are made of; it shows the kind of professionalism that we have in Kenya, and so on, that should now be replicated in other areas of the UN system and, in particular, with the Secretariat of the UN system headed by the Secretary General and in particular, in the UN agencies and so on.” There, Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have done very badly. It is only this year that---"
}