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{
    "id": 486278,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/486278/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 399,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Free movement of services is still a major challenge. It is not a secret that Kenyan professional services are far more developed than the rest of East Africans. In fact, despite our low population, at one time, speaking as an engineer, the total number of engineers in Kenya were more than all the engineers in all the other countries of East Africa. If you go to Kigali, Rwanda, today most of the landmark buildings were done by Kenyan professionals. It is kudos to us, as Kenyan professionals. Today if you went to Dodoma Parliament, you would notice that the interior decoration is exactly the same as the interior decoration of this House. I wish the chair of the Committee on Integration could listen to me because this is important to her. That is no accident because the designer of the Dodoma Parliament is the great son of Kenya, Architect James Kimathi from Meru County, who also designed this great House. I want to tell the Chair of the Committee on Integration that they have produced great people from Meru. Architect James Kimathi designed all the beautiful things you are seeing here. He did the same in the Dodoma Parliament. That notwithstanding, Kenyan professionals, and I am one of them, still face major challenges with regard to plying their trade in East Africa. We face a lot of suspicion, particularly in Tanzania and Uganda, probably, because the standards of professionalism in Kenya are far higher. Having said that, as somebody who comes from a fishing constituency, I am concerned at the Budget that has been allocated to Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization of Kshs247 million. This is too low. You are aware that the challenge of water hyacinth and other common services in Lake Victoria need major funding. I want to believe that if Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization was to be funded properly, we would start making millionaires and billionaires from local fishers. It is very sad that as I speak 70 per cent of the East African Community (EAC) Budget is donor funded. That makes me wonder whether it is really an EAC, or a donor- funded community given to the East Africans. The five Governments of East Africa need to do more to increase the funding. As I conclude, because there is not enough time, the intention to have a Monetary Union by 2014 is a very good one. If you have ever had a chance to travel from Kenya through Uganda to Tanzania and then back to Kenya, and say you had a Kshs1,000, you would be surprised that by the time you cross the Namanga border, the value of your Kshs1,000 may be as low as Kshs500. These are the challenges of not having a monetary union. We should remain on course with regard to the four major pillars, including the political union as has been espoused in the Treaty governing the East African Protocol. I support the Report and recommend it for adoption."
}