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"content": "together was to ensure that they can do their business and deal with the basic problems together. In the Treaty, we were privileged to witness an agreement that has more than just trade. There is social co-operation and fostering of better human relations. The things that happen now could never have been imagined. You will see Kenyans travelling from Kenya to Rwanda for a wedding of a relative. Some go to Uganda and Tanzania. That means that there is co-operation even in terms of movement of human beings from one country to another. So, we are actually deepening this relationship by expanding this experience. Many people do not know that you do not need a visa to go to Rwanda. You just go to the airport and board a plane to Rwanda. It is just like going to Kisumu and Eldoret. Of course, you will have to go through the normal immigration processes, but you do not need a visa. Madam Temporary Speaker, we have discussed many times why there is no good trade in Africa. One of the reasons is that we are putting on ourselves restrictions that we do not even put to people from other races. We make it easy for someone to fly from Europe to Kenya and make it difficult for someone to drive from Uganda to Kenya. The EAC for that matter, therefore, facilitates us, as African people, to improve our connectivity, expand our market and attract better investors. It is easier to attract an investor coming to a region like East Africa, with over 200 million people, than to a country of 40 million people. Therefore, it is important that we expedite the provisions of the EAC, particularly, on matters of citizenship and movement of persons and goods within the EAC. I laud what the President mentioned about the tripartite agreement of expediting development between Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. One very important element is trade facilitation through improvement of infrastructure; working together on the issues of railway, expanding roads and building new ports, both in Moshi and Lamu. It is important, therefore, that infrastructure is put as a priority in the East African region, so that people can move. Most of us forget that to go and buy goods in China, you may wait for week, but if you want to buy goods in Rwanda, you just send your lorry this morning and tomorrow, it will be on its way back via road. Therefore, trading with the EAC partners is more beneficial to Kenya than even looking for new markets in Russia and other countries. Madam Temporary Speaker, if the EAC is going to work, we must have a greater movement towards shared values. Rwanda seems to have learnt from the history of 1994 and appreciated that negative ethnicity can actually bring down a country, but there is a way that you can harness the diversity that you have, for purposes of progressive development of a country. Look at the way they are managing their politics. I know that in this country we love democracy and human rights but the first human right is food. We must put more energy in ensuring that people are able to eat, drink clean water, get treatment as they want, live in a clean environment and live a better life than to actually overemphasize the right to protest and talk. In this country, we just like talking and call it more freedom, space and ability to say what you want. It is okay, but why do we not put more emphasis on the things that The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}