Government wants Italians out of Malindi Space Centre
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale appears before members of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on August 1, 2023.
A parliamentary committee wants the Kenyan government to pull out of the bilateral agreement with Italy that established the Luigi Broglio Malindi Space Centre, citing frustrations, in what would likely spark a diplomatic tiff between the two countries.
Members of the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly made their position on the Malindi facility clear after Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the Italian government had failed to honour the agreement.
Mr Duale went on to reveal that the government is already talking to the American and Indian governments for joint operation of the Malindi Space Centre once it cuts ties with Italy.
The Luigi Broglio Malindi Space Centre lies strategically on the equator and sits on a 3.5-hectare land that belongs to the Ministry of Defence and has been operated by the Italian government for the past 60 years.
The committee that is chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech was unequivocal that it will support the government’s decision to exit from the agreement even as Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo warned against taking a move that will likely lead to friction with Italy.
“This committee will give you the necessary support to exit from this agreement because it is clear the Kenyan government has suffered,” said Mr Koech as he revealed that the committee will be touring the facility in the coming days. Of concern to the committee was revelations by Mr Duale that the facility makes billions of money in data sales to the other global agencies without Kenya getting a cent and that the government’s efforts to get information on the deals have been frustrated by Italians manning the facility.
Under the Treaty Making and Ratification Act, the National Assembly can reject or pass treaties generated by other bodies with reservations but the House cannot amend them.
The exit clause in the agreement allows the government to give a notice of 12 months if dissatisfied with the agreement.
Ms Odhiambo, while hinting at moving amendments to the law to allow the National Assembly powers to ratify treaties, said Kenya should consider exploring the route of renegotiating the Kenya-Italy treaty on the Malindi Space Centre as opposed to disengaging from it.
The agreement on the operation of the facility was hinged on five areas of cooperation framework- support to the Kenya Space Agency), access to earth observation and space science data, education and training, telemedicine and the establishment of a centre for earth observation.
However, none of the areas have been implemented, Mr Duale pointed out while accusing the Italians of reneging on the deal, with the only way out now being through Parliament.
