Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 94403,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/94403/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Shabesh",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 377,
        "legal_name": "Rachel Wambui Shebesh",
        "slug": "rachel-shebesh"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, then I must be almost invisible because I have been standing from the very beginning. But that be as it may, I really wanted to contribute to this Vote simply because I am a member of the Pan African Parliament and I have a lot of interest because we interact a lot as Members of PAP, with other members of Parliaments from other countries. It is important for me to state a few facts here. First, in terms of representation, Kenya as a country, in its role within East Africa and African Union, is recognized. I want to congratulate the Minister and his Assistant Minister and his team because irrespective of what is said in Kenya, I know it is a different story when we are seated out there in meetings of the African Union. We are normally very proud as Kenyan citizens for the work that you are doing as a Ministry. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to speak on the issue of missions. There are three missions that I would like the Ministry to put in a lot more importance to and maybe, more resources. The first mission is the one in Addis Ababa where the ambassador is also sitting for Kenya as one of the permanent representatives of the Committee of AU. That is not any other ambassador like any other country ambassador. This is an ambassador who must put in the input of Kenya on issues of the AU, including the protocols and treaties. So I believe that, that mission should be given a bit more importance. Another mission that I believe the Minister should elevate in his resource allocation is that of Geneva. Again, within Geneva, there are very many agencies; the UN agencies and the world trade organizations that have a lot to do with the economic growth that we are looking for in this country. Sometimes, one or two ambassadors can be overwhelmed by the kind of work that is there. The last mission I would like to speak about is that in South Africa. I want just to congratulate the ambassador that is there who I believe is really a patriotic Kenyan. He does a good job in receiving Kenyans and also deals very well with the Kenyans who live in South Africa. So I think sometimes, it is good to congratulate him. But even as I give the Minister so many good remarks, I cannot come out of here without being totally disappointed by his front bench. It has no woman really! They do very poorly on the issues of women as a Ministry. In fact, I think you take the award on having very poor representation in your Ministry but also in terms of ambassadors and the appointments. I know that there are women ambassadors and I congratulate the Minister for that. Because the Minister is the one who signs the treaties and brings them to Kenya for us to ratify, I am asking him to be the first to implement the one-third rule. We have women who are capable and who can do true justice to this country. I would really like him to look into the issue. I know that the Minister has also helped very many women get good appointments like the judge in the International Criminal Court, Justice Joyce Aluoch. Again, we congratulate him. But as I finish, I want to speak about protocol. I know protocol is within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the way we receive our visitors, the way our missions receive complaints in their missions. I think the Minister needs to work on the issue of protocol. I think these are not the days when Kenyans were treated with rudeness in their own missions. I think we are in a Coalition Government. If I am an ODM or PNU, and I go to Geneva, I expect the same treatment as an MP. I do not think that kind of protocol has really been emphasized to the missions abroad. So, I really wanted to look at the issue of protocol because we are in a coalition Government but I congratulate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I support."
}