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{
    "id": 1402406,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402406/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kilifi North, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Owen Baya",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. This is a very important Bill for which I beg to support. The County Licensing (Uniforms Procedure) Bill, Senate Bill No.9 of 2022 is co-sponsored by the by Senator Omar Mariam Sheikh. The Bill was passed by the Senate with amendments on 21st February, 2024. Subsequently, this Bill was submitted to the National Assembly. It was first tabled and read a first time on 28th February 2024 and committed to the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives pursuant to Standing Order 143(2). This is a very important Bill whose principal objective is to provide for a national legislative framework for uniform procedures for the licensing of various activities by county governments. Hon. Deputy Speaker, you will realise that every county government in this country has its own way of licensing. Therefore, there are very many variations that have made it very difficult to do business in Kenya thus the need for a uniform procedure for licensing. In addition, the Bill will ensure certainty in the licensing processes in all counties and encourage private sector players to do business in the counties. This will unhook the issues that we have when it comes to licensing in the counties. If we have investors coming in and then we discover that each county has different procedures, the only way we can ensure that there is uniformity and ease of doing business in the country is through this Bill. The objective of this Bill as enumerated in there is the need to protect consumers of goods and services, ensure public safety and promote environmental protection. There is need to maintain public confidence in the respective sectors under which the license is issued and the imposition of licensing fees is carried out in a manner that does not hamper the respective business. A good environment for doing business is very important in the counties. The county governments of Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale are neighbours. If you want to transport sand from Kilifi to Shanzu you will find that when you get there, the County Government of Mombasa has a different procedure. The same business person is now exposed to a different procedure. He has again to start a new procedure before he finishes that and takes the material to Kwale. When he gets across the ferry, he is stopped by the County Government of Kwale and again subjected to a different procedure. At the end of the day this investor or business person who wants to do business with these three counties has issues and loses a lot of money along the way. However, if we have a uniform procedure on how to do things, it will make it very easy for a business person who wants to do business at the Coast. I hope Hon. Omar Mwinyi has understood the import of this Bill to ensure that even him as a businessman for whom I know he is a very astute businessman in land matters, does not have issues in transacting land matters with the County Government of Kilifi, Mombasa or Kwale, so that his land continues to be safe in the hands of the county governments."
}