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{
    "id": 1269175,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1269175/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 235,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the County Licensing (Uniform Procedure) Bill that has been brought to the House by Sen. Mariam Omar. I congratulate her. This is her first time in the Senate and she did not spend one year before originating a Bill as important as this. This is a Bill that touches on many of the issues that we usually address on a day- to-day basis in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). It seeks to put in place uniform procedures for licensing of various activities by counties. One of the ways in which county Governments generate revenue is through the issuance of licenses for various activities related to their functions. The activities to which county Governments can issue licenses are prescribed clearly in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. It has become difficult for entities whose business interests spun the 47 counties to comply and apply for licenses. For example, if you are an outdoor advertising agency that is based in Nairobi and you want to have your billboards across the 47 counties, you will be forced to deal with 47 licensing regimes. You will be forced to have 47 single business permits or 47 different licenses. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, that is not spirit that was envisaged when we set up county Governments and when we allowed them to raise revenue at their local level. There need to be a way of making lives easy for those businesses that span the 47 counties. I believe that is the intention of this Bill; to simplify things, to simply life and to reduce the instances of compliance from 47 to one straightforward instance of compliance. I have not interacted with the report of the relevant Committee, but this is the kind of Bill that the Council of Governors (COG) is usually very fast to oppose. They always argue that the Constitution gives them powers of sub-national governments and they should be allowed things the way they deem it fit. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}