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{
    "id": 739590,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/739590/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 74,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Okoth",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12482,
        "legal_name": "Kenneth Odhiambo Okoth",
        "slug": "kenneth-odhiambo-okoth"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Chairlady. Part (a) of the Bill says that we have the Kenya Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission; part (b) talks about the Secretariat for Refugee Affairs and part (c) the Refugee Status Appeals Board. The amendment that the Committee has proposed seeks to change to “Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission”, which sounds more robust and clearer. “Refugee Advisory Committee’ is a weaker body yet we know the challenges involved in dealing with issues, especially when Kenya is a host country for so many refugees. There is need for a bigger structure. In his argument, the Departmental Committee Chair has made it clear that the structure already exists, and that it was recently gazetted by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government. However, this House is an independent organ of the Government mandated to make laws to improve existing policy frameworks that require interventions of this nature. Therefore, the law we are making takes precedence over any administrative structures that may have been put in place by the Ministry. I support the Departmental Committee’s amendment to the Secretariat for Refugee Affairs in (b) because they are simply reorganising the words to call it “Refugee Affairs Secretariat.” However, as we look through the rest of the amendments that have been proposed, amendment number six is a warning on the conflict that is coming regarding the rest of the amendments contained in this Bill, whether we are thinking about a proper refugee administration structure that will take care of human rights, emerging needs of refugee communities and durable solutions or we are simply trying to stay with the old Refugee Act. 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."
}