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{
    "id": 1284718,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1284718/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 67,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Privatisation is privatising public assets. Therefore, the general public and the people's representatives must be involved. The Bill has good intentions, but there are some missing gaps. What do we do with the staff, beneficiaries, and suppliers of existing corporations that will be privatised? It is not very clear. Will we dump them, tell them to find their devices, and suffer in silence because we are privatising these institutions. That is not very clear. We hope we will have enough time to grab something to persuade or save them. Curiously, Clause 26 (3) of the Bill says that a national Government-owned entity is not eligible to participate in privatisation. That particular Clause presents two dilemmas. One, privatisation means divesting from public to private. So, obviously, there is no contemplation of any public entity that can participate. I find that particular statement not very well grounded. What will happen to the county government-owned entities? Are they allowed to participate because they are not national Government-owned entities? That needs to be very clear, otherwise, there will be abuse. There are many issues to be dealt with. Allow me to delve into one or two things in respect of privatisation process. The danger has always been that the moneyed, well-connected cartels that exist at the particular moment end up with most privatised public entities. We hope the process put here will use the public offer so that as many Kenyans can benefit from this process. As I conclude so that we can transact other business, we do not wish to cast aspersions on the House leadership and the rest. However, the purpose of the Second Reading of a Bill is for Members to ventilate. The Committee in charge of the Bill should listen to the Members so that when they are making amendments at the Committee of the whole House, they benefit from listening to Members who contributed. After we conclude the Second Reading of the Bill, it will go to the Committee of the whole House. Essentially, debate in the Second Reading is just in vain. It is window dressing. It is just for public relations. We need to look at how we conduct business in this House so that our discussions are not just in vain. We understand the genesis of the rush to conclude, as Dr Nyikal has said. However, we cannot do that clouding the process of debate and legislation- making in this House. Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I support the Bill."
}