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{
    "id": 1031395,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1031395/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 350,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Pokot South, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Pkosing",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2662,
        "legal_name": "Losiakou David Pkosing",
        "slug": "losiakou-david-pkosing"
    },
    "content": "The issues surround the notion that the Government is forcing people to use the SGR. It does not feel good that the Government is forcing people to use the SGR. Remember, the SGR is a mode of transport just like any other, for example, lorries and trucks transporting goods from Mombasa to Nairobi. There were a lot of concerns from members of the public in the entire country and, of course, demonstrations here and there. From where you sit, Hon. Speaker, you ruled that this Committee does an inquiry so that we bring all these things together. Once you directed so, we asked ourselves: what do we need to address? Two things came to our mind as a committee. One, SGR is a national installation. Therefore, the protectors of that national installation should be the people and the leadership. We cannot beat the SGR! Who will protect it then? It is supposed to be ourselves. We also found out that the SGR should not drive out its own children from making money or doing business. The SGR should live in a symbiotic relationship with the people it is serving. There needs to be an equilibrium. So, this committee was to find that equilibrium. Some of the proposals we have given the House in terms of recommendation, form part of that equilibrium. We wrote to the public and main stakeholders to appear before us so that we can reason together. I want to thank our colleagues from the coast and in particular, Hon. Abdullswamad. He listened to us. We were actually talking on a daily basis. Using Article 95 of the Constitution, they were representing the interest of Kenyans. We decided that rather than talk to each other, we talk together as a people. We knew that we needed to find an equilibrium or a balance between the people and the SGR so that the SGR can live on its own, sell and sustain itself – people should be able to use the SGR willingly without being forced. We met officers from the relevant Ministry and Kenya Railway. We reasoned together. It is important for me to say this because it is critical that everybody knows who we met and agreed with to come up with the recommendations in our Report. We also met officials from Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). We met parliamentarians from the coast. They came in large numbers. We had a very good interaction with them for some days. We also met persons from Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA)."
}