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{
    "id": 914304,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/914304/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 617,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Eldas, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Adan Keynan",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 41,
        "legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
        "slug": "adan-keynan"
    },
    "content": "as a premier nation in the region. But we can only continue to enjoy that tag if we are careful because our domain is being raided now. We brag by saying that we are the dominant regional economic hub, dominant regional investment hub, dominant regional security hub, dominant regional humanitarian hub and dominant regional infrastructure hub. These tags are being raided. Look at our GDP. Ten years ago, when I was the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, I had the privilege of accompanying His Excellency President Kenyatta in his foreign ventures. I remember one time we visited Tanzania and the balance of trade was almost 100 per cent in favour of Kenya. Today, it is almost at par. At that time, after the United Kingdom, Uganda was our number one trading partner. Today, we only need to reflect and see that this country has been reduced to an importing nation. We are killing our manufacturing sector. Our primary industries are almost being closed. Everything is imported, including toilet paper and this bottle of water and yet, those goods can easily be manufactured in our country. How do we grow our economy? It calls upon the policy makers - including Parliament - to be prepared to safeguard the economic interests of the people of Kenya, if truly we are desirous of eliminating under-employment and unemployment which are rampant. The country has also experienced a serious demographic change because of population growth. Fifty per cent of our population now is the youth, but there are limited employment opportunities. There is a serious scarcity of tangible jobs. It is because of this that we must think out of the box and ensure that these monies are utilized well. I am not celebrating because our industries like the cotton, coffee, tea, and livestock sectors are not in good shape. I am sorry to say that I come from the northern part of Kenya where the majority of the people are livestock farmers. Today, there are avenues for exporting our livestock products through Somalia, Ethiopia and other neighbouring states. But what has happened to the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC)? The landlords, the vicious, rich and corrupt individuals have grabbed all the land belonging to KMC, thereby killing the livestock sector. You can see what is happening to the sugar sector. Where are we? This is why we must support the fight against corruption. It is a critical avenue for us to eliminate this vice so that we can get tangible development."
}