GET /api/v0.1/hansard/entries/94382/?format=api
HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 94382,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/94382/?format=api",
"text_counter": 217,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Eng. M.M. Mahamud",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Energy",
"speaker": {
"id": 373,
"legal_name": "Mohammed Maalim Mahamud",
"slug": "mohammed-mahamud"
},
"content": "This country has a big role to play in Africa. We are doing our best but it is important that we take our role seriously. It is sometimes said that the foreign policy of a country is a reflection of its domestic policy. We have a lot of squabbles internally. We should not reflect that scenario overseas. In appointing our ambassadors, we should maintain the standards that are required. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, not anybody can be an ambassador. One must have the right educational qualifications and the right exposure to be an ambassador. That is why my colleague has talked about somebody who seems to be an enemy of this country, but who is an ambassador. Our ambassadors need to be trained properly and supported. I support the sentiment that visa issues are very important to our Missions. Our Missions use money from visas as appropriations-in-aid, and the Ministry should not think that people can avoid coming to Kenya because of US$50. Countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom charge a lot of money for their visas. We should be able to put a premium on visits to our country. Nobody who wishes to come to Kenya will refuse to come because of visa fee. So, the idea of abolishing visa fee should not be entertained. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I remember that in the 1990s, visa fee was abolished and all our Missions abroad were grounded. So, these misguided policies should be stopped and visa issues must be left to the foreign policy. Foreign Ministers, as the number one public relations persons in Government, must be left to lead. The Ministry also must live to that expectation. We should be careful how we appoint our ambassadors. We must be transparent in appointing our ambassadors. Recently, there were lots of stories, and we need to be very careful about the way we appoint our ambassadors, so that we do not quarrel in the Press. It can actually reflect badly on our image. We also need to reciprocate where we have missions of other countries in our capital city. For heavenâs sake, we must have that position. A country like Morocco has been complaining for many years that it has only a Mission here in the region, but we have no Mission in Rabat. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}