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{
    "id": 866661,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/866661/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kibwezi West, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Patrick Musimba",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1804,
        "legal_name": "Patrick Mweu Musimba",
        "slug": "patrick-mweu-musimba"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I think it is excitement that this is a Report that has been long in coming. Even yesterday, we waited with a lot of anticipation in the afternoon, but I think they say better never than late as Jusper Wendo said in Betrayal in the City. I wanted to speak to the long heritage that the EAC has had within itself. The Nyamwezi have traded ably with the Akamba people. They were long distance traders albeit in pretty interesting commodities for the time. We look forward that now in this present age, especially with the age of social media, that the people of East Africa can come and integrate. In the 1960s and 1970s, we celebrated having cross-border education within our three countries, namely; Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, where the law school used to be in the University of Dar-es- Salaam. The University of Nairobi hosted the engineering faculty. Kampala was renowned for processing our Bachelor of Arts students and medical students. This was a very healthy tradition which went along and I think time has come that ICT will return us back to where we used to be. There has been a lot of heritage. Now that the Kenya human capital is actually second to none, not only in the region but, indeed, the world, there is no particular skill set that we lack. I think we have a lot to give to the region. An Hon. Member earlier alluded that the thirst for knowledge is the hallmark of this country. People in their 60s and 70s are still pursuing higher education and they are living the dream because we understand so ably that information is power and this is the power that will liberate us and take us from a Third World country. We have now risen to a middle level economy and we are now in the league to challenge countries like China, the United States of America, Germany and the European Union after we sort out ourselves in terms of just belief which is between our ears. So, to me, ICT is extremely fundamental for us to first believe in one identity and be able to harness the cross-border population of 120 million. This is what makes the powerhouses within the multitude of the world. Today, we sing ably and we have developed an EAC anthem. Few of us have it at heart. I think it is high time we shared all these things in terms of ringtones all around so that we can ably express ourselves that we are one community and one nation bonded by this thing called ICT in terms of its heritage and values to see us spur this great region to greater heights. I thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker."
}