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{
    "id": 1350197,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1350197/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 541,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marsabit County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Naomi Waqo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the Leader of the Majority Party in moving the National Lottery Bill 2023 (National Assembly Bill No.69 of 2023) to be read a Second Time. I acknowledge the appreciation that the Leader of the Majority Party has accorded to our Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture. Just to confirm that for sure, this is one of the very committed committees where Members turn up for the meetings and also stay to deliberate on the agenda before them. The National Lottery Bill 2023 seeks to provide a legislative framework for the establishment and operation of the national lottery, which arises from the need to provide for legislative framework for the establishment and operation of the national lottery to be administered by the national Government whose funds shall be used to support various good causes within the country. Until I participated fully in this, I was of the opinion that we do not have to entertain this, putting into consideration the many families that have been negatively affected, the people who have been addicted to this and ended up being poor. If you look at the positive side of this, it is proper for a Government to think of the people that we are governing because many of our citizens are involved in this. Besides the operators, the citizens, the young people, even grown- ups are mainly in this and unless we come up with a legislative framework that can guide, help and protect these people and the nation, we may not be doing very well. I am a converted Member now. I used to think that gambling destroys our nation, breaks families hence the reason not to support it, but there are people who have grown and developed because of it. There are people who have participated and benefited. Sometimes when you watch the news, you will see the people who have benefited and see how it has transformed their lives. It transforms their lives. That is why I l support the Bill. Kenya has in the past attempted to establish a Government-run national lottery, which was hindered by the absence of a policy framework governing the gambling sector. An attempt was made in 2006, but the responsibility shifted to the Betting Control and Licensing Board. Another attempt was made in 2008, which, again, did not succeed. The Gaming Bill was introduced in this House in 2019, which proposed a State-owned national lottery operated by a private firm on behalf of the Government. The Bill lapsed at the end of the 12th Parliament. That confirms that this is not the first time that Kenya has tried to come up with a national lottery. We have gone through different stages from 2006 to date and the dynamics have also changed. The national lottery that we are trying to introduce is different from what we tried to introduce in 2006. It has grown and many people are involved in it. There are also international investors who come to our country to gamble and if we are unable to accommodate them, they look for other opportunities elsewhere. It is high time that we put in 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."
}