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{
    "id": 691189,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/691189/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 257,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Nuh",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2840,
        "legal_name": "Junet Sheikh Nuh",
        "slug": "junet-sheikh-nuh"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me an opportunity to contribute. I support this Motion. This is a historical engagement between Great Britain and Kenya. There is no doubt that Great Britain is a powerhouse in the world in terms of the economy and technology. When this kind of co-operation is enhanced and framed even better than it was before, it benefits both parties. As you are aware, it was managed through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) before. Now, a defence co-operation agreement has been signed. This makes things better for the two countries in terms of engagement. Our own Constitution states that any treaty or convention ratified by Kenya shall form part of the laws of Kenya. This engagement will be on a higher pedestal than it was before. I am sure that enhancing it will be more beneficial to the two countries. There is a lot to be gained through this co-operation in terms of defence, the economy and other auxiliary co-operation that the two countries can have. Through this defence co- operation agreement, the technology and expertise transfer from Britain to Kenya will be immense. There is no better country to have a good relationship with than Britain. The two countries have a lot of historical engagements starting from the colonial era. People say that we fought colonialism to remove the British and gain independence. Sometimes, there are a lot of benefits which came through colonialism. Some of the things we are facing now were not there during colonial times. Looking retrospectively, there are a lot of benefits that those two countries can achieve through that kind co-operation. There are issues that come up as this agreement is ratified. There are issues that have been raised concerning environmental degradation. Looking at the Report, the Committee said that it consulted everyone. Our new Constitution emphasises a lot on public participation. In the Report, the Committee says that they consulted the Ministry of Defence, the State Law Office (SLO) and Members of Parliament from that region as key stakeholders in this matter. The Committee should have gone further than that to engage communities living around those areas directly. It ought to have listened to them. I believe that would have enhanced public participation. The Committee should have captured concerns of those communities, especially during the period that the training goes on in those areas. 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."
}