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{
    "id": 895390,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/895390/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 233,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, you and I have been in the East African Community (EAC). I am happy that you have outlined the commitment or lack of it from our partner countries. I want to laud the President for being on the frontline when it comes to African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AFCFTA) Agreement. I say this because sometimes the smaller units can create problems because we have very few people yet, we must have a quorum of all the six countries. There are always challenges when there are disagreements or suspicions and one partner State lags behind. When one partner State has suspicions about the other countries and lags behind, the fact that the EAC has few member States does not help; instead it becomes an impediment. It is good that our Head of State is at the forefront as far as the AFCFTA is concerned. I lead a delegation of this House to the African, Caribbean and Pacific and the European Union Parliament (ACP-EU). The AfCFTA took place in Rwanda at the time when we were in our ACP-EU Parliamentary Session. It was so exciting for the African groups and was highly supported by the Caribbean, Pacific and also the EU that this is the way Africa should go. This is very important because the fragmentation of Africa has reduced the impact that Africa would have had in the international activities right from trade negotiation to any other relationship. Bringing Africa together and having free trade will be very important. Madam Temporary Speaker, one of the other things that have been disturbing us, as the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group is the prohibitive cost of travelling between African states. We have somebody travelling from Senegal and coming to Kenya but cannot come directly. He first has to go to Europe in order to come to Africa. However, a free trade area of the African continent is going to stop this because we will be able to move freely and have free air space for our airlines, Kenya Airways included and all the other airlines. This is a very important step and I feel proud that Kenya is at the forefront as far as this one is concerned. Madam Temporary Speaker, I again laud the President for the approach he has given the Big Four Agenda in his Speech. Regarding the Big Four Agenda, I want to concentrate on the agriculture sector because I come from an agricultural county. We are producers of food in this country. I am happy that the President noted first and foremost, that agriculture is the largest employer in this country and that it provides employment for 60 per cent of the total employees in this country. This means that it must be looked at differently. This is the sector without which we will have a lot of unemployment. If we do not promote agriculture, it will cost us both food and economic security. The problem is that when people cannot be employed in the agriculture sector this 60 per cent will be idle and wondering what to do. We know that the easiest thing for them to do is for the devil to occupy their minds and they go roaming around, robbing everybody. It is good that it was noted. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}