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{
    "id": 1278527,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1278527/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 246,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Wilberforce",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "bureaucracy and whenever there is bureaucracy upon bureaucracy, we end up with a system that does not serve the intention of the people. Many of my colleagues who contributed here seem to have a misconception of the structure of this Bill. They think the Controller will be walking in various places checking whether food and feed is safe. No! Colleagues you need to read the Bill clearly. It simply says we are creating somebody who when he wakes up and is idle, will go to AFA to check if they are doing their mandate. That is the work of Parliament; to oversee the various State departments. The mere thinking and bringing this Bill here is an indictment that Parliament has failed in its role of oversight! We are not able to question this because we are driven by the tyranny of numbers: sijui reality and what not. Those are things that add no value to this country. If you look at this Bill, it proposes to amend various principle Acts. In a way, it is like an omnibus or miscellaneous amendment Bill that seeks to amend all those things yet, this would have been done in a more elaborate manner without a particular Bill. I can see we are simply creating jobs for the boys because of the work the Controller is supposed to do. Clause 24(1) states: “That the Controller in consultation with the relevant competent Authorities shall designate a laboratory as a reference laboratory for confirmatory testing”. This is the role of KENAS. In 2019, we passed a Bill which is already an Act creating this authority to handle that role. So, what are we trying to do here? Looking at the powers and duties of the Controller as provided here, they are cosmetic, parlous, and of no value. All they will do is write a report to the Cabinet Secretary in-charge of the competent authority and that will be the end of the story. There is no provision for sanctions to ensure everything is done. We are creating a research body so to speak, to document failures and do witch hunting on who is not working and so on. We are creating a snitch who will be wailing around saying: ‘Yesterday I found rotten meat in Butchery X, Y, and Z in Karumaindo. Where is the Public Health Officer of the County Government of Nairobi who did not check that meat?’ Whoever drafted this Bill should have done much better than this. If they truly feel that the competent authorities mentioned in the First Schedule are not working, the best way would have been to review, look where the lacuna or shortfalls are, and simply ensure they are handled. Looking at Clause 18 on the scope of the verification conducted by the Controller, which includes, conduct of inspections; taking of samples; and conducting analyses. Surely, that is the work of the Government Chemist! Why would you again ask the Controller to do that kind of job? There are public health departments in county governments that do that. This is just a duplicitous process. We will create turf wars unless the two committees, headed by competent Members of Parliament who went to school and understand things, look at this Bill critically and give it a thorough shot. As Hon. Hamisi indicated, we are making a law that will not be enforceable and implementable. It will be just on paper, just like many other laws. I can assure you that in a matter of a few months, the same Leader of the Majority Party will stand here to propose amendments to this…"
}