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{
    "id": 711801,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/711801/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 58,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kang’ata",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1826,
        "legal_name": "Irungu Kang'ata",
        "slug": "irungu-kangata"
    },
    "content": "Therefore, when you see that happening, it is a negative vote on the part of our societies. It shows that we may need to increase safety nets. We should provide free food for our children in schools. The feeding programmes need to be entrenched. It is not good when Kenyans migrate to these camps and masquerade as refugees. In fact, it shows that we are not giving our locals better life compared to the ones they get at the refugee camps. There is this issue of the nexus between refugees and terrorism. I concede. I think it is unfair for us to condemn all refugees and say they are terrorists. There is a very small element amongst them in those camps that masquerades as refugees when the truth is that they are terrorists. I urge the Government to come up with better mechanisms of identifying people who may engage in terrorist activities. I also urge that we provide in this Bill how long one can be considered a refugee. I am saying this because currently, being a refugee is a lifelong categorization. What if your country becomes more conducive like Rwanda? Burundi appears to be going back to chaos. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I know of societies which were in conflict at some point, but have now stabilized. How do you treat that person who is still in your country? How do you define the end of hostility? When do you stop being a refugee so that you can go back to your home country? That is something that needs to be clarified in law. Our neighboring countries are quite fragile. One day they have peace and the next day they break up. In my opinion, that is neither here nor there. I can cite the example of South Sudan, which prior to its independence was fragile. It was peaceful after the referendum but it has now reverted to chaos. If you are a refugee from a country that is no longer at war, is it fair for you to still be deemed as a refugee? Can we not tell them that since their country is stable, they are no longer entitled to any support as refugees? The definition of the word “refugee” ought to be determined in terms of the period of time within which one qualifies to enjoy such status so that at the lapse of that period one ceases to be deemed a refugee. That can be provided through an amendment to Clause 2 of this Bill. Under Clause 2, the law defines such terms. The term “refugee” ought to be defined and a time limit put in place so that one does not remain a refugee for his entire life. Such provision will encourage refugees to make an effort to ensure that their country stabilises. The current situation gives them incentives to ensure that chaos continue in their countries so that they can continue to claim that they are still refugees in the new country they live in. Hon. Deputy Speaker, there is the issue of children born out of the society that have gone into exile. For example, you came out of Somalia to Kenya, what about the children? One can argue that such children may be deemed to be Kenyan citizens. That is a dangerous preposition. It should be clearly denoted what happens when you go to a host country and you bring forth children. Should they be deemed to be children of the original state or the host state? It is crucial that we deal with that aspect. There is debate about the number of people in the North Eastern region. Does the number include refugees or children born in refugee camps? It should be clarified in this Bill that was moved by Hon. Neto. With those few remarks, I support. 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."
}