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{
    "id": 440488,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/440488/?format=api",
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    "content": "Thereafter, Kenyan forces have been sought after for peace keeping operations all over the world – in Kosovo and in East Timor. In the whole of West Africa, Kenyan forces have kept peace. Now, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, having been an Assistant Minister for Defence for the last five years, I have been inside the situation and I can tell you that a lot of times, we rejected offers that were given to us to go and keep peace. Our reputation is so good and I do not want us to put in the other side issues that relate to the performance of our military. Our military is composed of human beings and we can never miss a problem here and there. I only want to say that even peace keeping forces have now changed; countries – and even the UN – are thinking of supporting peace keeping operations in Africa through the AU. As we speak, within the African Continent, you know that we are in Somalia. When we went to Somalia, we could have operated and exited, but the UN said; “no, Kenya is key and we want you to convert from the operations you were doing on your own to be part of the peace keeping force”. Today, the Kenyan General is the Deputy Commander of the forces in Somalia; not to mention about the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Darfur, where we have forces. Even now, we have sent some forces to South Sudan. There is nowhere in the world where peace keeping forces have been sought after and Kenya has not been offered a place. Every time if you went to the Department of Defence (DOD), they are always evaluating and saying no, we cannot go here because we are committed here and there. So, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I just wanted to tell my sister that the opportunities that we might have missed are just the opportunities that Kenya has declined. Even as we speak today, there are many requests by the UN for Kenya to participate in peace keeping operations in the troubled areas. It is only that sometimes we find ourselves overstretched and we feel that we would rather not overstretch ourselves. Kenya has gained tremendously through these peace keeping operations. Our forces are earning a lot of foreign exchange through the remunerations that are coming through the UN. Most of you, hon. Senators, have neighbours who are soldiers. You should see the kind of houses they are building in the rural areas; you can see that the peace keeping efforts that Kenya has made, have transformed the lives of many, including our young soldiers."
}