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{
    "id": 94423,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/94423/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 258,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 164,
        "legal_name": "Gerald Otieno Kajwang",
        "slug": "otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I stand to second the Motion. First and foremost, I want to thank the Minister for East African Community for allowing me to second this Motion; there are few cross-cutting issues that we deal with in the East African Community, especially movement of persons and general movement. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some two very momentous events have happened in this country in a space of one month. On 1st July, this year there was the commencement of the common market protocol that has brought back what we remember as the Eas African Community. I can confess that when I was in Form Six in 1977 the General Paper examination asked us to predict whether the East African Community would survive or die. I predicted that it would die and I passed with flying colours. We are happy to now celebrate the re-birth of that common market. We hope that it will build on the treaty for establishment of the East African Community, which we started in 2000. On top of that, we have built a new foundation with the new Constitution that was ratified at the referendum by an overwhelming majority of the Kenyan people. With these two momentous events I think our country can now just look forward to reaching the goals that we have set for ourselves in 2030. On the restrictions on movements of persons that were there immediately after 1st of July, we published a regulation that would allow East Africans to cross into our sister countries, obtain work and practise their skills without a requirement for payment for work permits. I think I may use this podium to invite our brothers and sisters in the East African Community countries to come to Kenya, do business and also practise their professions without any restrictions. Our officers can now ask them to apply for work permits, but will not charge them any fee. Of course, that is merely technical because we want to know who is where. Let me just say that, because time is running out, you cannot talk of East Africa without talking of Lake Victoria. If you use Lake Victoria effectively in matters of transport you will cut down your transport costs tremendously and reach many countries cheaply. I know that countries that have developed their transport services have sometimes gained more money from them than from manufacturing. Kenya is strategically placed to develop its ports, both inland and those of Mombasa and Lamu. We have a tremendous opportunity to benefit from a proper railway system, use our waterways, increase our power generation capacities, build hotels in Kisumu City and develop the inland port. I am grateful that the airport is now being improved. We are happy that in consultation with the Ministry of East African Community, we are establishing one-stop border posts where we will clear people quickly; people will not have to go to the Kenyan side and then move to the Tanzanian side to be asked the same questions they were asked on this side. We will be sharing data, and consequently the movement across borders will be faster. We hope that our police will co-operate, so that they will not have to stop people too many times between Mombasa and Malaba. I know that in Uganda there is only one police stop post at Busia. After that, you move to Kampala without any other stop. But in Kenya you stop after every other 50 kilometres. It is not security, it is rent seeking posts. I support."
}