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{
    "id": 120358,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/120358/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 291,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support this Bill. I would like to congratulate Eng. Maina for bringing this time Bill. Price controls are ordinarily deemed as anti-free enterprise. I would, therefore, be very hesitant to support blanket private control as it would stifle investment. However, as has been indicated by Mr. Yinda, we need to deal with a society that has turned into “a man eat man” society. It is increasingly becoming “a man eat woman” society and “a man eat children” society. I am saying that because poverty has been feminized. The face of poverty, as has been said by Dr. Laboso, is that of a woman and increasingly that of a child. If we are able to deal with pricing in a way that protects our women and children, then that should be the reason I support this Bill. If you actually look at the Bill, it only focuses on essential commodities. It does not offer blanket control. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as indicated again by Dr. Laboso, it would actually help the country to deal with and realise our Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Nos.1, 4 and 5 on poverty eradication, child mortality and maternal mortality. However, the hon. Member may need to look at Article 4A. We need to think through it again as it has a potential for bringing inequalities if we go about giving different prices by regions. I know that we want to look at issues of productivity and all other related issues, but going by our history, we often do not use objective standards. Therefore, when we provide controls, they should be uniform across the country. Doing so, we will also limit corruption or temptation towards corruption. In the Bill, there is reference to regulations. However, since the Bill is very small, I wish that certain regulations could be encompassed within it, so that we do not give room for manipulation. If you look at the Harmonised Draft Constitution, you will see that it looks into the issue of third generation rights, which we also refer to as economic rights. One of the ways of actualising these rights is through systems like the one proposed in this Bill. One of the challenges that has been raised over the issue of"
}