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{
"id": 1373784,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1373784/?format=api",
"text_counter": 291,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Embakasi West, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Mark Mwenje",
"speaker": {
"id": 1429,
"legal_name": "George Theuri",
"slug": "george-theuri"
},
"content": "tell us to come and build new houses now. We have houses in Nairobi. Regularise them because those are our affordable houses. We are okay, and we do not need any more. Those are sufficient for us. The majority of those who are being paid salaries are here in Nairobi. If you look at the houses being built in this county, it is unfair. How will you convince all these people where 60% per cent of the GDP is? You are not even giving us the equivalent. So, let me remind my colleagues across, and I am happy that the Hon. John Mbadi is here, because he might remind me that President Mwai Kibaki built houses in Nairobi but he did not impose a levy. They are here in Langata. President Uhuru Kenyatta built houses in Starehe Constituency, and I wish Members were here. The houses are here in Pangani, and no levies were imposed. So, it is not something new. That is why, as Azimio, we were willing to support it. We had this in our manifesto because we knew we could do it without asking for extra money. I also want to speak about my Constituency. In some areas you have pointed out, where you want to demolish slums and build new houses, we have had uprisings and all sort of maandamano going on in Nairobi because nobody wants their homes to be demolished. So, we submit to you that we do have a form of affordable housing. It might not be the best, but it is what Kenyans can afford right now. Finally, because I will have several amendments that I will bring in later on, let me caution you. Let me caution on the criteria provided by this Bill. Before I was a Member of Parliament, I was an advocate earning a salary of Ksh20,000. I applied for an affordable housing scheme at Nyayo Estate. That was the most corruptible scheme because you needed to know someone before you got a house. The new Bill exposes us to such. I see Hon. Owen Baya is paying attention. If you go to Nyayo Estate, you will find that those affordable houses, as considered then, were from Ksh700,000 to Ksh800,000. You will be surprised that the wealthy people in that regime own those houses. Some people own 10 to 15 houses there. The ministers, permanent secretaries, and Members of Parliament of that time owned those houses. The criteria in this Bill that one only requires a simple Kenyan identification card (ID) to own a house is very subjective. This means that someone somewhere will choose and determine who gets a house. What you have contributed to the scheme might not be considered. This might boil down to your tribe, skin colour, the depth of your pocket, who you voted for, political affiliation, share ownership and other non-fundamental factors. As Azimio, we wanted to sort out the housing problem by providing affordable housing without adding more tax burden to the taxpayer. I know we will have more discussion about this in the Committee of the whole House. Nevertheless, I urge the Chairperson of this Committee to allow us to amend this Bill, as your colleague Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi said. Allow us even to delete each clause herein and redraft this Bill afresh. We have a strategy and plan. Kindly allow this issue to be bipartisan, and we can come up with a better Bill without adding more taxes to Kenyans. I apologise that I have not had a chance to look at the Committee's Report because it was sent to us at night. I hope that we will look at some of these issues in depth. I cannot support it as it is. Thank you."
}