Dr. Joyce Cherono Laboso

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 91 to 100 of 3818.

• 4 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I thank the hon. Members for the very good contributions that they have made to this Motion. Right from yesterday, it was very gratifying to know that hon. Members actually have a lot of information on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). view
• 4 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: As I mentioned yesterday, part of the reasons for bringing this Motion was in a way to inform hon. Members about what we do in the ACP, which is a parliament that this Parliament belongs to. I am sure that many a time, even in your Committees, you wonder what is the ACP that you are told people go to. To inform hon. Members, these are some of the things that we discuss. view
• 4 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: My other colleagues, hon. Aden and hon. wa Kabando will be bringing other matters just for your attention and information, because we, as a Legislature, do not know the agreements that the Executive commits the country to in most cases. In most cases, those commitments actually impact on the very people we represent in this House. view
• 4 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: Hon. Members, this is a Motion. What hon. Moi has said is true. We are in a catch 22 situation. We are saying that there are manufacturers and industries which will be affected; we have rightly mentioned the flower, the coffee, the tea and the horticultural industries. This is because we are probably on the brink of becoming an industrialized nation. Are these agreements helping us towards achieving that goal, or are they making it difficult for us to become industrialized? I am sure that the Government has been asking these questions. This is because, as you have rightfully observed, ... view
• 4 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: I am glad hon. Muchai has said that we have very skilled negotiators, who are trying to get the best for the country. This is just some emphasis. We are not saying: “Do not sign the agreements”. I hope that you have clearly seen what my Motion is saying. We are resolving that the Government does not sign the EPAs in their current form. The point is not “do not sign”, it is “do not sign them in their current form”. The most favoured nation, the export taxes and development clauses were all explained elaborately by the Member who seconded ... view
• 4 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: I know that we are in a catch 22 situation. We are doomed if we sign the agreements in their present form. I tend to believe as many hon. Members have said in this House that we should increase trade amongst our blocs; that is the East African Community (EAC) and COMESA. We are already saying that the volume of trade that we have with those regions is much higher than the volume of trade that we have with the EU. Let us continue to look for agreements that are really beneficial to the Kenyan small- scale farmer. We are ... view
• 3 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: Hon. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, aware that since the signing of the Cotonou Agreement in the year 2000, the Government has been negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with European Union (EU) together with other member States of the Eastern African Region; further aware of the concerns raised by the Eastern African Region on the contentious aspects of EPAs, including offering undue advantage to products from other markets at the expense of growth of local and regional industries; further taking cognizance of the adverse effects that EPAs are projected to have on Kenya’s economy particularly ... view
• 3 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: Hon. Speaker, Sir, I thought I had more time than the three minutes you were giving me. Is there a problem? It is still not on. Can I go to the Dispatch Box? view
• 3 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: Are my 20 minutes over? view
• 3 Jul 2013 in National Assembly: I am just finishing. Give me two minutes and then I will conclude. So, I have just given you list of countries which I have said have signed the EPAs but have not taken the necessary steps to ratify and implement their respective agreements. So, what I am saying is: Yes, we need to sign an EPA but we are saying let us not sign it in its current form as it is giving us undue advantage over products coming from the EU into our market. We are also saying that the impact of being removed will differ from country ... view