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{
    "id": 1013889,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1013889/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 16,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "In the last six months, our newspapers carried advertisements of properties being auctioned. These properties were owned by startup companies and entities who had started business with a contract sum of Kshs100,000 or Kshs500,000. They had supplied uniforms, food and other items to schools, but they have never been paid. You will rarely get someone who had supplied goods worth more than Kshs1million. Many of these small traders borrow Kshs300,000, Kshs400,000, or Kshs1 million. The banks start to recover their money immediately from them irrespective of whether the Government has not paid them or not. It is a pity that their loans accrue interest and the Government, eventually, when it pays, it never pay with interest what the own these people. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like the Committee on Education to take it seriously because the same attitude is depicted across the public sector. On Monday, the President spoke on the payment of farmers. He was talking about farmers who have not been paid for the last three years, yet it is known that they delivered maize to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB). They are being told that they might be paid from 1st of October, 2020. Will they be paid the money plus interest because their loans from the banks are accruing interest? If my memory serves me right, Sen. Sakaja and Sen. Farhiya brought a Bill which we passed in this House on prompt payment. I hope the National Assembly will prioritize that Bill so that we quickly have a legal framework that improves the public procurement law. It is not enough that you have money, but you must be ready to pay promptly. There is an excuse the national Government, county government and public entities use to delay payment. When it is time to pay suppliers, they say “this matter is under investigation.” Someone reports to the EACC or the DCI and an investigation starts and the payment is delayed for years. We must find a way of also ensuring that if an investigation is going on, suppliers must be indemnified for any loss that will occur as a result of protracted investigations that, eventually, indicate that they did not commit any crime. Otherwise, many hustlers will not survive in this nation. It is a big problem. When we discuss this issue, we must take it seriously. Suppliers of mikokoteni, wheelbarrows and farm equipment to schools must be paid. Hustlers deserve to be treated fairly."
}