MPs outraged by pact on Italian space centre

Kenyans have been locked out of multi-billion dollar San Marco Space Centre run by Italians at the Coast.

“The information that the station gathers is sold to many countries and they make billions.

“We are not talking of billions of shillings but billions of dollars and there is need to look into this agreement again,” said Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa in Parliament on Wednesday.

Dr Wekesa, a former Science and Technology minister, said the agreement was “very secretive”, prompting MPs to demand a review of the agreement that set up the project to allow Kenya to benefit more from the space centre.

The centre, which serves many countries in the world, was built in Ngomeni, Malindi in 1964. The first satellite was launched in 1967.

Dr Wekesa said the project could earn Kenya billions of dollars.

MPs described as a joke the Sh240 million which Defence assistant minister Joseph Nkaissery said the centre gives back to the community every year through its social responsibility programme.

Mr Nkaissery insisted that the research centre was not an income-generating project.

The agreement expired in December 2011 and Kenya and Italy are negotiating a new one.

Key among Kenya’s demands is the inclusion of Kenyans in the centre’s management team.

There are only two Kenyans involved in running the project, a scientist who is coordinating it and an electrician.

The disclosure came after a question by Emuhaya MP Wilbur Ottichilo.

Dr Ottichilo said the station, used in launching rockets, ground stations for satellite reception, processing and archiving of satellite information, was a multi-billion dollar business and Kenya must benefit.

Garsen MP Danson Mungatana said it was unfair for the government to sit back and do nothing.

“It is unfair for the government to stand here and tell us there is no money yet a rocket launch will cost not less than $100 million. They pay at least $50 million for every orbit tracing,” he said.

Kiharu MP Muturi Mwangi asked: “Why should we have a station serving the whole world yet only a few shillings that cannot even buy water pipes are given back to us?”

Visit the station

He said no fresh agreement should be signed until it was scrutinised in Parliament.

Gwassi MP John Mbadi said Parliament should do a thorough report on the project and recommend how or whether it should be carried forward.

Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim asked a joint parliamentary committee to scrutinise the agreement and look into the issues raised by MPs.

The committee was urged to work speedily and report back to the House in two weeks.

The team will visit the station as part of the investigation.