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{
    "id": 121721,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/121721/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 395,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Omingo",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Trade",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 180,
        "legal_name": "James Omingo Magara",
        "slug": "omingo-magara"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I rise to support this Bill for the simple reason that the object of the Bill is to do away with archaic way of doing things. We are now living in a liberalized economy. Indeed, we need to live with the current times. As much as we want to delegate our responsibilities and authority to this Authority, consumers and traders need to be protected. It is true that we must be alive to the fact that we are getting into the global economy. We started with trading blocs in our region such as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC). Various issues require harmonization. It is true that by thinking outside the box, we will be able to grow as a nation and compete with the community of nations as far as trade is concerned. However, it is important to note that even as we liberalize, we must also entrust this body that is being created to run the show and at the same time allow it to protect the indigenous small traders. For example, it is foolhardy to imagine that we are going to float an international tender of Kshs50,000. That is not worthwhile in terms of economics. There is no way the small people are going to access business if they have to expose themselves to serious competition internationally. What we require to do is to form bodies that will deliver this mandate to Kenyans. We have seen bodies formed such as the acrimonious Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC)--- If Parliament is going to create institutions that are not going to live to the expectations of Kenyans, then I think it is high time the Committee on Implementation, of this House, interrogated such bodies to ensure that we get value for our money. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as soon as these bodies come into force, we need to give them some time-frame and be able to evaluate them in Parliament. Thank God, we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, in terms of coming up with a new constitutional dispensation for this country, where the Executive will be put to account. This House is going to be vested with the responsibility of even vetting people who will be joining Government service at senior levels. I also want to join hands with my colleague who said that as much as we create jobs, we should also ensure that we spread them wide to include the youth of this country, who have always been told that they would be leaders of tomorrow, but for whom tomorrow has never come. It is important that during the final stages of the formation of these bodies – when we will have people serving in them – equity, in terms of gender balance, age and geographical representation, is factored in, so that we can reduce the tension that this country has gone through due to the kind of nepotism that we have witnessed over the years. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also important that the body that is being formed works hand-in-hand with the parent Ministry, so that it can grow our businesses. As the Prime Minister said here yesterday, the only way to run away from"
}