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{
    "id": 707489,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/707489/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 211,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. F.K. Wanyonyi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2065,
        "legal_name": "Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi",
        "slug": "ferdinard-kevin-wanyonyi"
    },
    "content": "doctor working in a hospital here. As long as a person has confirmed refugee status and is recognised as a profession, they should be allowed to practise. We even have engineers. I know of cases in the Second World War where the Jews moved to Russia and USA and did good work in those countries. Space exploration, for example, was done by people who had problems in 1948 when they were persecuted. They moved to USA and Russia and did good jobs there. We have no problem with refugees who have special skills and as Kenyans, we should welcome them. However, we have had problems in refugee camps as mentioned, particularly in Dadaab. We know for sure it has been misused, but it is not everybody in that camp that is bad. The provision here is that those who come into this country will be vetted. I am told we do not have gazetted refugee points. So, that is a problem. Our neighbouring countries have problems. We have problems in South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. The Bill provides that we should have designated refugee registration points and that is one thing I like about it. The other things I want to talk about are control points and integration of refugees. Some refugees from Uganda, for example, have married our local girls. There is nothing wrong with that. We have hosted them for over 30 years. That, again, is an issue, but we should not have the restriction that they should not be integrated into the local communities. I oppose that. During the Third Reading of this Bill, we should amend some of the offensive clauses that have been proposed. I am a Kenyan. Who knows what my children would go through in 30 years to come? As far as I am concerned, that should be considered. I agree with this provision on points of entry. Indeed, the authorisation officers should have powers to take fingerprints and photos of those who are coming in. We have had cases where impostors come here in the name of good refugees. This will help in the screening of those who are coming into our country. It will also enable us to identify them at a later stage. One thing I feel bad about is when our people move into refugee camps because of hunger. They move there to get food. In fact, they register as refugees so that they can benefit from rations. It is unfortunate that there are Kenyans who do not have IDs. I am told there are over 40,000 Kenyans in those camps. That, indeed, is something of concern. Without wasting so much time on this matter, it is important that we clean up this Bill when it comes for the Third Reading. We should attend to some of the issues in the Bill that are very important. Last, but not least, we know what is happening in Syria and Libya. Our African brothers and sisters have been forced to look for safe havens in southern Europe. Most of them have ended up dying. Let us be human when dealing with refugees."
}