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{
    "id": 1336978,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1336978/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 190,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Uasin Gishu County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Gladys Boss",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill. I start by commending the Chairperson, Hon. (Dr) Pukose, and his Members of the Departmental Committee on Health. This is an extremely timely Bill that has been long outstanding from the 12th Parliament. We are grateful to Hon. Pukose for ensuring that it came to life in this Parliament, because it is extremely strategic and critical for this country. Hon. Temporary Speaker, Kenya cannot attain the Level 4 status that is required as I am informed by professionals like Dr Pukose and Dr Nyikal. If we do not ensure that our law, or the Kenya Drugs Authority Bill, is in conformity with the WHO standards, then Kenya will be locked out from the international market of selling its manufactured pharmaceutical drugs to other countries. Right now, Kenya cannot export to Europe and the United States of America because we do not meet the WHO standards. This Bill will ensure that we meet WHO’s standards. This Parliament, in the Finance Act 2023, has given several incentives to encourage pharmaceutical companies to manufacture locally. They can manufacture locally, but will not export because they do not meet the international standards. Organisations such as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) are domiciled here in Kenya and whenever they require to buy any drugs, they will not buy the ones manufactured in Kenya because, again, our law is not in conformity with international standards. There are only three items that are accommodated in this Bill that we will be discussing going forward. One, we want to ensure that as per the international standards, only those who are trained pharmacists can handle certain drugs, and others can be handled by general handlers such as our pharmacy technicians. This is not to say that they will be locked out of work. If we improve our manufacturing and can export, the biggest personnel who will be guaranteed jobs, and will be involved in the manufacturing are our pharmaceutical technicians. Two, we also want to ensure that as per the recommended best practises under the WHO standards, licenses are only given to pharmacists, as it is done globally. If we do not do that as Kenyans, and allow anybody to be given trading license, then we shall fall below the WHO standards thereby locking our country and hampering our growth. I want to, again, make it clear that no pharmacy technicians will lose jobs or be locked out of market. They will be the ones working in these manufacturing industries. They will be the ones that will be employed. It is important to note that wholesale dealers’ license is a technical practise license and should only be issued to pharmacists and that can be included in the Bill. Lastly, we want to reinstate the removal of veterinary products from this Bill and include it back because as I have been informed and studied, molecular science relating to animal and human health is similar. It would be a waste of taxpayers’ funds to do double regulation and vetting of human medicine versus veterinary medicine. In other countries, they are domiciled in one authority which is suggested in this Bill, for more efficiency and to ensure The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}