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{
    "id": 746259,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/746259/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 640,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Chairman. I want to urge the Committee to reconsider their position because their argument is informed by the current situation. This means that the Committee seems to be legislating for a set of refugees in the country but, we are not legislating for those refugees. This is a Refugee Bill which will affect refugees of all times, whether in 2016, 2017 or 2089. We have many people from Tanzania, Somalia and Zambia who have had problems before and have sought refuge in Kenya. If we can say and predict as prophets that they shall never have problems then this does not make sense. But if there is likelihood that any of our neighbouring countries can ever have problems, then we need such a fund. In any event, what harm does it cause Kenya if we have the funds and we do not use them if we have refugees? It does not affect our capability as a country to facilitate the return or repatriation of the refugees that are currently here. Finally, I want us to borrow from a Bill that I also passed in this House: the Counter- Trafficking in Persons Act which is fairly similar to the refugee situation. It is a fairly temporary situation but it has a fund which is the same case with the Victim Protection Act. I also passed the Victim Protection Act which is also a temporary situation. How sure were we that we were going to have victims of crime? We have the police. But we must be proactive as a country and look at possibilities and likelihoods of conflicts arising and people breaking the law and then not be reactionary and have knee-jerk reactions in situations that we could have foreseen. This Bill foresees such a situation. I urge the Committee to reconsider so that we can have a fund. If there are no refugees, we can always reuse the money and reconsider but there will be, at least, some minimum amount of money for emergency action for refugees. Please, reconsider your position. I oppose the amendment by the Chair."
}