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{
    "id": 1003360,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1003360/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 444,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kabondo Kasipul, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Eve Obara",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13352,
        "legal_name": "Eve Akinyi Obara",
        "slug": "eve-akinyi-obara"
    },
    "content": "Secondly, I had in mind taxation of maize flour, which my colleagues have mentioned. If you talk about exempting maize seed from VAT and then you tax the product, what are you talking about? So, this is another area we have to look at. Maize, ugali or unga, as we put it, is a staple food for Kenyans across the country and not just for certain regions. We know that very well. If there is something that Kenyans have been crying for the most during this COVID-19 period, it is maize flour. When people said that they had no food to eat, they meant unga . So, the Committee on Finance and National Planning, as Members have said, the area of maize flour is a no-go-zone. See what can be done so that maize flour is not taxed? Another area which needs to be re-looked at, in my view, is matters of health. Kenyans do not have to go to India all the time to seek treatment. The cost of medicines in this country is so high that many people have died when we could easily have prevented those deaths. People have died due to lack of medication. So, the Committee needs to re-visit this area. They are talking about zero-rating ambulance services but that is only a drop in the ocean. The other area that has been considered which I think by now we all know would have been disastrous is taxing pension of retirees. I will not belabour this point and I want to appreciate the Committee for dropping this proposal because as you can clearly see, this was one of the most unpopular ones in the entire Bill."
}