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{
    "id": 866569,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/866569/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 71,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Samburu West, KANU",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Naisula Lesuuda",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13122,
        "legal_name": "Naisula Lesuuda",
        "slug": "naisula-lesuuda"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Deputy Speaker, at the outset, let me take this opportunity to thank Members of the Committee for their input when we considered this Protocol. I also want to thank the offices of the Speaker, Clerk and the Cabinet Secretary for East African Community (EAC) and Northern Corridor Development for the support that they extended to the Committee as we considered the Protocol. As we are aware, EAC is a regional inter-governmental organisation which was established under Article 2 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC that came into force in July, 2000. Kenya is one of the member states. We have six other partner states. These are the United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Uganda, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Burundi and Republic of South Sudan. Further, the Protocol which is the subject of the Report under consideration was founded based on a memorandum of understanding among the cabinet secretaries in charge of the partner states of the Northern Corridor Integration Project in March 2015. These are Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan. It is important to note that Kenya has previously ratified and domesticated the EAC Treaty through the EAC Community Act. It is therefore obligated to ratify all the treaties and implement the Protocol through the national Government organs and institutions as provided for under Article 15 of the Protocol. As I get to the gist of the Protocol and why it is important for us, as a country, to ratify it, it is important to observe the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). We cannot overemphasise how it is important for the member states to be interlinked since it will help our country’s economic interest. It is important to note how Kenya benefits from economic ties and businesses that we conduct with other member states. The EAC has provided opportunities for Kenya’s private sector businesses which include banks such as Kenya Commercial Bank and Equity Bank which are in other member states. We also have supermarkets and the education sector. Therefore, it is important to have reliable and high speed ICT networks to link the headquarters in Nairobi to Kigali, Bujumbura, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Kampala. The private sector needs to be facilitated with reliable ICT interconnections to promote Kenya’s economic interest. It would definitely fasten the processes from the headquarters of each country when they communicate and to act as fast as possible. We know that we have our banks, supermarkets and education sector there. So, it will be important to us, as a country, and our economic interest. The EAC has developed a legal framework for cyber laws which provide guidelines on the enactment and enforcement of laws that promote the deployment of e-government and e- commerce services. There are various frameworks that have been put in place to ensure that The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}