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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Motion is also in recognition of the efforts that have actually been made by our own country. I recall the work of Gen. Lazaro Sumbeiyo, who was the mediator for peace during the conflict in Southern Sudan. I also want to applaud the efforts of His Excellency the Vice-President, hon. Kalonzo Musyoka, who at that time was the Minister for Foreign Affairs, for getting all the parties to work together. His Excellency Retired President Daniel arap Moi has continued to play the role of ensuring that there is peace in Southern Sudan. This House owes gratitude to these persons in their individual capacities as well as in their official capacities. This work must be appreciated, and it needs to continue. As Amani Forum, we actually sent a delegation to the Sudan as early as the year 2000, led by hon. Gitobu Imanyara, and whose membership included hon. Paul Muite. The delegation was also looking into the issue of peace in Southern Sudan. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, therefore, this is work which this House has been supporting for a long time. You will also recall that in December 2009, this House took a mission for the second time to Somaliland, where we found an economy which is working, and a semblance of order. It is within the same context that this Motion has been brought to the House. It is, therefore, important that as a country we ensure that the issues surounding the referendum are sorted out. A total of 3.2 million Southern Sudanese have registered for the referendum. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement Protocol on the Referendum states clearly that after six years of staying together, the people of Southern Sudan could choose to either remain as part of the Sudan or to secede. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is not for us to decide for the people of Southern Sudan. That decision is theirs. We appreciate the official position of the Government of Kenya on this issue, which is to let the people of Southern Sudan to make that decision. It is not for us to decide for them. It is up to them to do so. I want to emphasise that point for purposes of avoiding doubt. We have sent two delegations from this House to Southern Sudan to just encourage and support them, and to tell them that it is really their business to determine which way they want to go. However, we are aware of people who already want to scuttle the process. We fear that if the referendum is not held on the agreed date, the situation in Southern Sudan may not be good, and that will have serious security implications for this region. As of now we are dealing with the issue of disarmament. The insecurity being experienced in this country, particularly in northern Kenya, is the result of our porous borders. It is in our interest that our borders with Uganda and Ethiopia are secured, and that Southern Sudan has a legitimate government to protect its interests. That is the only way in which the disarmament programme that the Government of Kenya has embarked on, which is promising to assure the security of our people, will be completed properly. If we only disarm people on our side of the border, we will always get incursions from our neighbours. We will always get guns flowing into the country from all directions. It is, therefore, in our own interest, as a nation, to ensure peace in Southern Sudan is realised. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, another consideration in moving this Motion is that there are 70,000 Kenyans who are working and living in Southern Sudan. Those people are making a lot of cash remittances back to this country. It is in our interest to ensure that this kind of employment opportunities for our people are not only secure, but are also"
}