Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1283585,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1283585/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 300,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Murugara",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "everything good that Kenyans can think of, but what do we get from it? Year in, year out, debt after debt because it is not able to run its affairs. We need a law like this one so that we can privatise KQ. That way, it will continue to be the pride of Africa as it should and make Kenyans proud. I have gone through this Bill, and I can say it is a very important one. It now sets in motion how we will privatise the entities earmarked for privatisation. An authority is being created, referred to as the Privatisation Authority. Possibly, we will add 'of Kenya' to read the 'Privatisation Authority of Kenya' so that we know that what we are privatising belongs to Kenya and Kenyans are doing it. This is an authority that is supposed to spearhead privatisation activities in the country as formulated in Part II of the Bill. The Cabinet Secretary is given the powers to set up the authority. Once it comes into being, the authority is supposed to be managed by a Board of Directors chaired by a person appointed by the President and other members equally appointed. This is important because technocrats will be on it, including the Principal Secretary for the National Treasury and the one responsible for matters relating to investment promotion. Additionally, we will have the Attorney-General sitting on the Board to give advice and guidance on such matters. We know very well that there may be elements out there who look at privatisation as a golden opportunity to take over assets through whatever mode. It can be either through state capture, stealing, or any other way so that they are able to enrich themselves. With such a law in place, they need to be forewarned that there would be no room for trying to take away Kenyans' properties that should be privatised. We also have commercial banks stolen in the government's hands. We need to relook at such banks and see whether it is time that they are 100 per cent privatised and the Government opts out. I have not discussed parastatals, including a private limited liability company like Kenya Power Company Limited. Kenyans are complaining about Kenya Power because it does not render the services it should. The Government still controls a large share of this particular company – something it should move away from. We should have Kenya Power fully privatised. That way, we will have many competitors coming in to compete with it to provide energy in the county. As a result, Kenyans will enjoy energy services at affordable costs. Kenya Power is going wayward. It gives us bills which we complain about every time. I am convinced beyond doubt that some of these bills have nothing to do with the high cost of petrol and petroleum products or with levies imposed by the Government. It is possibly a way of paying for debts the company has incurred through levies, which many Kenyans do not understand. There is a programme in Part III on how privatisation will be done. This is very important because, once the process kicks off, it must be controlled by law on what happens step after step until the targeted entities are fully privatised. There is also an implementation programme in Part IV. This is also important because Kenyans need to know how long it will take for privatisation to start and be actualised. Additionally, Kenyans need to know how we will benefit from all this. This includes the privatisation agreements that will have to be entered into from time to time. In the end, any aggrieved party will have to go to the Privatisation Review Board (PRB). The BRB will perform quasi-judicial functions such that if a party is unhappy or dissatisfied with any decision, then there is an appeal mechanism in place that is supposed to serve justice to all the parties that go to it. With those remarks, I urge Members to pass this very important Bill so that we move forward."
}