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{
    "id": 668698,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/668698/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 287,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ababu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 108,
        "legal_name": "Ababu Tawfiq Pius Namwamba",
        "slug": "ababu-namwamba"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I support this Report on the Ratification of the East African Community Protocol on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. As a big economy in this regional bloc, Kenya stands to benefit a lot from protocols of this nature that clear the way for harmonisation and rationalisation of policies of measures that can spur growth, especially the arena that serves pretty much as the backbone of our economy, namely, agriculture, livestock and cooperatives. This is a sector that has contributed immensely to the development of our country. It is one sector that continues to employ and provide livelihoods for the bulk of our people. Many Kenyans still rely on agriculture, livestock and cooperative movement yet there is so much potential to exploit and develop these sectors further to introduce the cutting edge of technology modern day practices that can make our agricultural and livestock farmers even more competitive. The cooperative movement has enormous potential. Counties that have taken this kind of culture to the next level have leaped big from that investment. So, to have a protocol that would connect our economy to the rest of the region can only be positive in terms of expanding the arena of operation and challenging us in terms of our policy framework, policy architecture and practices. This means that we can pick up useful lessons from other economies within the region. We know that it is not just about size. It is also about efficiency and progressive culture. I say this especially with reference to Rwanda which is a much smaller country geographically, demographically and in terms of economic size. However, there is so much that you can learn from Rwanda in terms of the culture of how they do their things even simple things like sanitation and traffic. You go to Kigali and sometimes you got to rub your eyes to remind yourself that this is a city at the heart of the African continent because of just how they do simple things such as managing their environment and controlling erosion. You see practices that they have introduced just to control water runoff in the city. Kigali is a city that is very hilly, undulating hills, the terrain is very tricky and yet this is a country that has managed to deal with challenges such as ground surface runoff, something that a big city like Nairobi has not been able to control. That is why every time you have some little deluge in this city, everybody runs helter-skelter at the slightest sign of rainfall because we have not been able to manage our environment better. So, we definitely have something to learn from the economies within the EAC. Our historical partner, Britain, is exiting the EU and one would be tempted to imagine that maybe there is no much value in economic regional blocs like the EAC. I want to put it on record that nothing could be further from the truth. The future is definitely integration. I dare say that Britons are certainly worse off exiting the EU. I believe our interests as a country and an economy would definitely be well-served by a stronger EAC. I live on the Kenya-Uganda border where we have experienced and lived the spirit of the EAC in real terms. My parents met and married in Kampala and my siblings were born there. I was born in Jinja at the source of the Nile. Those of us who live in that part of Kenya do not need anybody to tell us the benefits of our two countries co-operating together, exchanging ideas and developing themselves together. We live and experience it every day. The EAC is a reality. It is good to have protocols of this nature that can only make the Community stronger. I want to challenge the EAC Governments to expedite certain processes that were intended to accelerate The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}