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{
"id": 1412221,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412221/?format=api",
"text_counter": 205,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Runyenjes, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Muchangi Karemba",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is also right to call me Hon. Karemba. It is my name and it features on my national identity card. I support the Bill. It is time that we had a uniform law that governs the way business is conducted in counties. One of the roles of the Government is to regulate and facilitate the ease of doing business in the country. The Government can only employ around one million people in the public service. The rest of the people in this country are employed by the private sector. That is where they have been absorbed. The proposed law is supposed to facilitate the ease of doing business. That is where it matters most. It is very difficult for new and small business owners to move around the country selling goods and supplying items. If you have a business that is domiciled or registered in Nairobi and you want to move your items to counties like Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Chuka, Tharaka Nithi or even Meru, you are required to pay distribution licenses in all those counties. It is very difficult to get resources to pay for those licenses and still make a margin of profit from those businesses. You will find that most businesses end up collapsing or dying as a result of multiple levies that are charged on them. This is a very timely proposal. Everybody should support this Bill so that we have a standard or uniform way of charging levies across the counties, so that we can give businesses an opportunity to thrive. This law will help our country to be competitive in terms of doing business. That is where it matters. Once again, I support the Bill. It is timely and everyone should support it because it is a good idea."
},
{
"id": 1412222,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412222/?format=api",
"text_counter": 206,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Members, I would now like to call upon the Mover to reply. Mover, you can donate a few minutes."
},
{
"id": 1412223,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412223/?format=api",
"text_counter": 207,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Aldai, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Marianne Kitany",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The object of the Bill is to facilitate the ease of doing business in this country. Many businesspeople currently find it very expensive and difficult to engage in business, which creates lack of competition in the country. I love the interest that the Bill has generated in Members from both sides of the House. Members have talked about the object of the Bill, which is to ensure that we have one uniform licensing regime because Kenya is one and we would like to make life easy for businesses and businesspeople. The cost of transporting goods across counties is currently a very expensive affair because as you cross each county, licenses or levies are charged on your goods. This Bill will ensure that the cost of transportation of goods between counties or inter-counties is harmonised. Therefore, consumers will get goods at a very good price. There is also the issue of alcohol and substance abuse. Because of the current licensing regime, counties are issuing licenses haphazardly to any business without caring whether the business is near a school or market. This Bill is timely and it will ensure that we protect consumers from harmful business practices. For example, licensing of the sale of alcohol will be done in a manner that is acceptable to the community. Alcohol dens should not be found near schools or areas that can cause harm to young children. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1412224,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412224/?format=api",
"text_counter": 208,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Aldai, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Marianne Kitany",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The Bill also creates a licensing authority which will vet the issuance of licenses as opposed to licensing being done by individuals to avoid issues of corruption. Some Members have mentioned how getting licenses in various counties is marred with a lot of corruption. The licensees or traders have to part with a lot of money before licenses are issued. At the end of the day, they may not be able to recover that money due to the cost of doing business. As anticipated in the Bill, the licensing authority will help to avoid corruption. If a license application is rejected, a review body has been set up to look into why that license was rejected so that licensees get justice and value for their money. The other issue that has come out is that the cost of licenses is too high for many licensees. The Bill seeks to ensure that before licensees pay the license fees, details of the license will first go to the county assemblies for approval before it is implemented. More importantly, there is room for public participation where the public shall review these license fees to decide whether they agree or disagree with their being levied or their increase. This will help businesses so that we avoid the current scenarios where a county government may just unilaterally decide to increase license fees for certain license categories, therefore, making the cost of doing business in a county very expensive or unattainable for the licensees. The duration of licenses is another issue that has come up on the Floor. The Bill will seek to clear the issue of duration of licenses. It will now be a year from the date of issue as opposed to a calendar year. Some licensees would get a license in September and by December it has already expired. The duration of a license will be one year from the date of issue."
},
{
"id": 1412225,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412225/?format=api",
"text_counter": 209,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Aldai, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Marianne Kitany",
"speaker": null,
"content": "This Bill also seeks to ensure that the licences are issued electronically. It has given the county governments a period of within three years to ensure that systems are in place. Anybody applying for a licence does not need to go to the office physically, but can do it electronically. This will avoid corruption in these offices. The Bill will also stop double taxation for entities or professional bodies that are licensed at national level. More importantly, there are professional bodies which the county governments do not consult before issuing licences. For example, there are some quack pharmaceutical businesses that are being issued with licences. This Bill will ensure that county governments shall consult professional bodies before any licence is issued or approved for issuance. This will help us to ensure the value and quality of goods and services received will be commensurate with what the common mwananchi requires. The Bill also requires that the quality of goods and services provided are of high standard. The current scenario is that some of the goods that are provided, issued or sold to unsuspecting consumers are not of high standard. The county governments will liaise with Government entities, like Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), to ensure that the goods they license will be of high quality and standard. This is because we are the Kenyan consumers. We will consume these products, goods or services. This Bill will ensure that there is protection of consumers. It will also ensure there is standardisation of the goods that will be sold within the various sub-counties. It will also ensure that the Licensing Board has a uniform way of licensing, whether you want to grant, renew, transfer or replace a licence. It will be the requirement of the licensing authorities within the counties to give any comments or rejections to the licensee in writing. This is to avoid corruption which is an issue that has been raised by many of the contributors today. If communication is done in writing, it will avoid situations where licensees are told to bribe for them to get licences. If there is any further information required, the licensees will be given in writing. This Bill also has the timelines within which a licence can be issued. It has been set at 28 days. If there are any comments or requests required by the licensing authority from the licensees, the timeframe within which a licensee should respond has been given. This is to ensure that the licensing regime is free from corruption. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1412226,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412226/?format=api",
"text_counter": 210,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Aldai, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Marianne Kitany",
"speaker": null,
"content": "This Bill will come in handy. It is very good and timely so that all county governments can conform to the uniformity. There is only one issue that was raised; uniformity may be unconstitutional. As a Committee, we have looked at it and we confirm that there is nothing unconstitutional about it. Hon. Temporary Speaker, with these remarks, I beg to reply. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 53(3), I wish to request that putting of the Question be deferred to another day."
},
{
"id": 1412227,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412227/?format=api",
"text_counter": 211,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Thank you very much, Hon. Marianne, for ably replying to this Bill. Hon. Members, putting of the Question is deferred to another time, as will be scheduled by the House Business Committee (HBC)."
},
{
"id": 1412228,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412228/?format=api",
"text_counter": 212,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Putting of the Question deferred)"
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"id": 1412229,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412229/?format=api",
"text_counter": 213,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Members, as per the re- organisation of the Order Paper, we will go back to Order No.9."
},
{
"id": 1412230,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412230/?format=api",
"text_counter": 214,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "THE NATIONAL LAND COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) BILL (National Assembly Bill No.43 of 2023)"
}
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