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{
    "id": 948360,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/948360/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 459,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nairobi CWR, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Esther Passaris",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12475,
        "legal_name": "Esther Passaris",
        "slug": "esther-passaris"
    },
    "content": "trying to make an agreement with the Government. It is a government-to-government agreement. We are saying that we are grateful that they are employing our Kenyans, but we have issues with Kenyans being mistreated. There is something that Kenyans who get passports do not know. They do not know that when they travel, the Government has embassies and high commissions. There is a Kenya office. Whether you travel outside the country, even if it is through a recruiting agency, and you get a job, the first thing for you to do is to find out if there is a Kenya mission in that country. You then inform that mission that you are in the country. You disclose whomever brought you there and indicate that you are an employee there. Most Kenyans do not do that. You find that when there is a terrorist attack in a country, we do not even know if Kenyans are there. We do not even know how to check whether our people are hurt. This happens in Europe and everywhere. Kenyans have an obligation to read their passports. It is written in the passport. There is a high rate of unemployment. The Arab countries provide a lot of jobs. If you go to Dubai, sometimes you feel like you are in Kenya. I have an aunt who recruits for hotels and cruise ships in Dubai. She was very happy when the Cabinet Secretary - and we have to commend the Cabinet Secretary - came up with a system to ensure that we vet all the people that send Kenyans to work outside. Currently, it is not very easy for you to get a licence. You have to put in a bond so that if our Kenyans are sent there and are struggling, they are brought back. While we clean up our mess of unemployment and deal with our population crisis, there is an opportunity for us and the Committee to look for countries that are employing citizens. Even when our President went to Abu Dhabi, he talked about it. He talked about us sending plumbers and electricians. This is why we have tertiary colleges. We have to up our game. We have to make sure that the standards are high. Recently, the Cabinet Secretary, Prof. Magoha said that when you are looking for a plumber or an electrician, you have to pull your ears because you are unlikely to find a good one. It is interesting because opportunities for such jobs are there. About three months ago, because Governor Sonko shared my number online, a lady from Iraq got hold of my number and got hold of me. She shared with me about 20 Kenyans in Iraq. We do not have a mission in Iraq. She even shared with me the companies that recruited them. I was at a loss on what I could do. It was in a foreign country and I took the advantage of getting a legal advisor to communicate with all the Kenyans in Iraq. I wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I told them that we had Kenyans who were stranded in Iraq crying. I have very tearful videos. I would not have known that I could have eventually gone to the Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare had they not brought in this Report on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I will share with them the report on Iraq. These Kenyans are languishing. The culprit who sent them there has switched off his phone. The Kenyans are suffering. They are tortured and beaten up. One is sick and almost dying. Their families want them to come home. I am disappointed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their total disconnect. I am also disappointed with the Office of the Attorney-General where I sent a copy and I was told I have to go to the State Department for Immigration."
}