Parliament has directed a probe into the 1962 agreement between the Government and San Marco Space Centre at the Coast after it emerged that the multi-billion dollar rocket-launching centre was not financially beneficial to the country.
The centre is also used in satellite tracing and control of orbiting activities that are said to mint billions of dollars annually but the pre-independence agreement signed with the Italian government does not favour Kenya, the House heard yesterday.
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim yesterday directed the joint committees of Education, Science and Research, and that of Energy to investigate the agreement with a view to establishing why the country was not reaping from the project.
Mr Maalim further directed that Emuhaya MP Wilbur Otichillo, who filed the question and Eng James Rege, the only two MPs with space science knowledge be co-opted to the probe committee.
The agreement signed between the University of Rome and the Royal Technical College (now University of Nairobi) for space science has been renewed four times and expired last December.
MPs are against the agreement that does not allow Kenyans to be employed in senior management positions. The Malindi-based centre was set up in 1962 and has been used for the launching of sounding rockets for atmospheric space, study the propagation of radio waves and archiving of satellite data.
Shrouded in secrecy
On Wednesday, MPs were shocked to learn that the Italian government has donated only Sh240 million to the local community since the establishment of the centre at Ngomeni.
They protested saying the country had failed to reap maximum financial benefits of the space science business because of the slanted agreement.
Former Minister for Science and Technology Noah Wekesa confirmed to the House that the agreement was shrouded in secrecy and oppressive to Kenya.
Defence Assistant Minister Joseph Nkaissery said negotiations were ongoing with a view to review the agreement. He said the space centre was not meant to be an income generating programme as stated in the agreement.
Under the agreement only Sh240 million has been channeled to the community through the Coast Development Authority from the government of Italy. A senior retired military officer Dr John Kimani, assisted by Electrical Engineer Captain Andrew Nyawande are some of the Kenyans undertaking projects at the centre.
Rege sought to know whether the orbital slot was registered under the name of the Government of Kenya or Italy.
— Stories by Steve Mkawale and David Ochami
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