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{
    "id": 76602,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/76602/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 323,
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    "content": "commission agreements on what takes place when a Kenyan opens a business in Juba or when a Southern Sudanese opens a business here. The point I would want to emphasize is that when we, as a team, went to Juba last week, many of us learnt that the Southern Sudanese people mean well for our country. The scenes and events that have been taking place in terms of Kenyans being killed or harassed are most probably based on ignorance rather than a deliberate attempt by the Sudanese people to try and chase away Kenyans. Kenyans are very welcome. The Southern Sudanese believe in us. We are the ones who brought the CPA and they respect the positions we have taken in terms of our engagement with them. They have promised us that immediately the referendum is over, whatever decision they take, they are willing to come and we engage each other so that we put mechanisms in place to deal with each other as colleagues and friends and not as adversaries. I promise, hon. Mungatana, that immediately we are a little bit free in the Office, Prof. Saitoti has agreed that we will start drafting JCCs that will be brought in immediately to make sure that the issue of Kenyans being denied opportunities to run their businesses or Kenyans being harassed--- Kenyans are, indeed, supposed to pay either US$40 or US$50 every three months. When a Kenyan goes to Juba, he has to go to the border every three months and yet when a Southern Sudanese is in this country, we do not harass them. We do not ask them to pay that duty or taxes. We are saying that we need reciprocity and I promise that we will achieve those results very soon. Dr. Khalwale asked about the issue of unscrupulous businessmen running outfits in Juba. That is true but this is not really a uniquely Kenyan phenomenon. I believe that you are aware that in the world all over, you always have those unscrupulous business people who engage in different activities in different countries. Indeed, when we were there, we were informed that many of our people – some of who are prominent - went there, started businesses and took money and yet they did not perform as expected. However, there are also very many Kenyans who are sincere, have worked very hard and are achieving the results and are trusted very highly because Kenya’s manpower is considered to be very highly trained and appreciated. The MP for Molo, my friend, asked about the issue of how we can provide security and make sure that our people are not harassed. The Kenyan Government is directly engaged with the Southern Sudanese Government. We raised this issue as Members of Parliament when we were there and the Southern Sudanese Government has promised us that in case we have any issue that touches on security, they will immediately engage us and make sure that we move quickly to ensure that we stabilize the situation. That also follows on what hon. Wamalwa has raised; that, there are individuals in his constituency who have suffered the same fate. However, I would like to assure him that those events will decline because we are now directly engaged and we are seized of the situation in Southern Sudan. The message we gave is that for a long time, Kenya has been on the periphery. When Uganda moved in, Eritrea also moved in and Ethiopia too has also moved in and yet, we are the ones who gave birth to the CPA. So, immediately we went to the periphery, our people became vulnerable. We were told by the Kenyans who live there that they need Kenyan doctors because of the Kenyans who live there. They also need a Kenyan lawyer who will be defending them in a court of law. We are proud that the Kenyan Government has seconded three magistrates who will be running the courts in Juba. We believe that the magistrates will be showing what justice is because we believe that our system is much fairer and reasonable."
}