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{
    "id": 675323,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/675323/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 224,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Gathecha",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 652,
        "legal_name": "Annah Nyokabi Gathecha",
        "slug": "annah-nyokabi-gathecha"
    },
    "content": "environment that gives us five climatic zones that present an opportunity to be a centre of excellent training and learning how soldiers can adjust to different climatic conditions in a single day in their training. This is a unique opportunity and landmark for our country. It offers experience and the kind of land mark that is completely unique. These training grounds should not be taken advantage of or taken for granted because no other country has training facilities that are available here. This agreement also outlines how visiting defence forces should conduct themselves. In Laikipia and Nanyuki, we find many chotaras, evidence of women who have been victims of unbecoming behaviour of soldiers. These soldiers should provide some expertise and leadership within their areas. This Defence Cooperation Agreement will ensure that the fatherless children in this country and those born out of exchange visits of the soldiers are protected and the soldiers are held responsible for engaging in activities that are against the rights of the locals. There will be opportunity and recourse for them to get speedy justice. The soldiers who engage in such activities will be held responsible and accountable under the Defence Cooperation Agreement. It will hold them accountable for their actions and deliver compensation to wananchi. This agreement also speaks about the environment and how it should be protected. We know that visiting armies come in with equipment or arms. These arms will be subject to inspection in terms of how they will be handled and used in the country. This is important because when we take a look at weapons coming into this country, given the fragile nature and the warring nations around us, it becomes important for us to regulate the coming in of weapons into this country, especially during this period when we are going to the election year. It also regulates what the forces can and cannot do with regard to the weapons that come into the country. For example, in this agreement, they cannot sell the weapons that come into this country which means that as a nation, we are protected. It also means that they will not engage in activities that would destabilise the nation. That is a significant achievement because as a sovereign nation, one of the key things that we stand for is to ensure that we are protected and our citizen rights are protected. We do not allow anybody to just come into the country and run whatever programmes they would want to under the guise that they are more civilised and advanced. This will ensure that this agreement benefits the local setup and operates within the constitutional rights of the country. The Defence Cooperation Agreement does not propose any amendments to the Constitution as the framework and terms of engagement are not in violation to any of the protocols in the country. I wish to address the issue of finance. While we support this agreement, we understand the issue of contention that has been raised by Members of the Committee in terms of the exchange and the financial part of it. It seems completely unfair that Ethiopia will be getting US$63 million while Kenya gets Kshs7 million in this agreement. That is one area that most people would have an issue with. As I had mentioned earlier, Kenya has five climactic zones. We cannot compare that with what is available in Ethiopia. It is important that as we sit down as a nation to renew our agreement, we need to take a look at the amount of funds we use when we send our students to the UK and the USA for training and what we get in return. When it comes to the issue of finance, probably, we need some sort of adjustment in that area. We have facilities that need to be expanded and worked on. We need to take a look at our agreements in a manner that takes into consideration development in terms of the military, skills and capabilities, working with our environment and ensuring that as a nation, we are getting full value. 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."
}