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{
    "id": 836969,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/836969/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 296,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Limuru, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Peter Mwathi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 104,
        "legal_name": "Peter Mungai Mwathi",
        "slug": "peter-mwathi"
    },
    "content": "the Committee’s recommendations, the issue of the state of facilities—like in New York you heard of Kenya House. I like the way I heard several Members speak about Kenya House in New York; that you cannot want your house to look like what Kenya House looks like. That is very good. In fact, that should persuade the membership of this House that once the Supplementary Budget is done, they should help us to get the funds to be able to deal with the problems that arise out of the poor state of facilities. It was also noted that missions in South Korea, China and Japan also have issues with mission housing and offices. In South Korea, the issue of high rent arose. In fact, because I was in that mission, there was a request that this mission be assisted to get enough money to purchase its own facility, which will reduce the cost incurred out of the monies paid for office rent. I agree fully that during budgeting we shall sit down with the Treasury and see whether it is possible for us to facilitate that mission to get a building of its own. But even where we have our own buildings, like in China and Japan, we have not utilised the space, and the space is big enough to be developed. As the chairman said, that space can also generate Appropriation-In-Aid (A-In-A) for this country, which can be used to fund other missions. So, among the requests and recommendations that were put in the Report is that we need adequate funding to be able to do infrastructural development in China and Japan, where we have land so that, that space can be utilised in order for us to stop hiring of more space for staff who do not live in those areas. The second issue that arose is delayed release of funds. As per the presentation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before our Committee, the Treasury has promised that they will be wiring the money directly to the missions. That will reduce the delays. We hope and we call upon Treasury to quickly implement that policy and undertake to release the monies on time. What of staffing levels? As observed by all Members, there are staff who have been recalled. They have come back to Nairobi, but they have not been replaced. What that means is that you are incapacitating the same mission, which we are saying is our image. So, what is critical now is to ensure – that recommendation is right at the tail end of our Report – that all staff who have been recalled are replaced, and all existing positions should be filled so that they are able to fulfil their mandate without stress. The same case goes for the vehicles. I remember in China we found grounded vehicles. Again, procurement and disposal processes are difficult. They said that for the last three months the vehicles had been lying there idle. It is very important that procurement and disposal be done and approved quickly by the Ministry. They said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to give an okay. We are having a sitting with the Ministry to show them how they can hasten the processes. Go to South Korea, a country that is renowned for its ICT prowess, which we can tap into; you find the mission office has equipment that are almost two years old and is overtaken by technology. The issue of upgrading equipment used in all the missions must be addressed quickly. Again, that appears in our Report."
}