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{
"id": 1433877,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1433877/?format=api",
"text_counter": 244,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Hon. Farah, the Deputy Speaker, and the Member for Kieni are always on their seats shouting order or rather affirming order in the House. ( Laughter) But, surprisingly, when he is not on the seat, he is behaving in a manner likely to be described as disorderly. I was attracting their attention so that they may listen. Hon. Farah's constituents have a problem with electricity on the grid, and he knows as much. Part of the problems have emanated from people vandalising transformers and lines on the grid because they are looking for aluminium or copper alloys. Therefore, we want to have a special license for the people who deal with copper and aluminium in order for us to stem the rising cases of vandalism of transformers and other public infrastructure. We have aluminium guardrails on our roads to secure us in case of accidents, but people vandalise them. You remember when the former President Uhuru Kenyatta was commissioning the Standard Gauge Railway Phase Two, he swore in God’s name that he will sign the execution of anybody who dared vandalise them during his tenure. You will be surprised that parts of that line are still being vandalised, especially the guardrails along the corridor. Therefore, there must also be penalties. The amendments which we are now dealing with here will enhance the penalties. This is so that if you are caught vandalising any public infrastructure in the name of acquiring scrap metal, be it aluminium or copper, you will pay hefty fines and penalties. That will deter vandalism and, of course, ensure that those who are trading in scrap metal are trading in scrap metal that is legally acquired, not vandalised from public infrastructure. I do not want to go to each of the Acts because Hon. Owen has ably articulated all the amendments in those Acts, and I thought I could just mention them. I beg to second. Hon. Owen is telling me to amplify the one on the Parliamentary Service Act of 2019. As he mentioned by passing, the proposal seeks to provide that the Parliamentary Service Commission shall be responsible for performing functions necessary for the well-being of Members and staff of Parliament, including settling of your mileage reimbursement rates and other facilitation relating to the management of State officers of Parliament. I do not want to elaborate but Members know what this means. I have never in my life as a Member of Parliament benefited a shilling or a coin in the name of mileage. The Member for Dagoretti North, Hon. Beatrice Elachi, from the time she was a nominated Member of Parliament in Nairobi, and now that she represents a constituency in Nairobi...If you get a lady being elected in a constituency, especially in a volatile constituency like Dagoretti North, you must give respect to that kind of Member. She will tell you she has never benefited a shilling in her time as a Member of Parliament despite the fact that she may have to do more trips to her constituency and back from Parliament within a day or within a week. She does more trips and covers more mileage than a Member like our former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Farah, who will probably go to his constituency once every weekend; travels for 300km to and fro. However, Hon. Beatrice will do 30km five times, probably, in a day. It is possible for the Member of Dagoretti North to be in her office at 7.00 a.m., at 8.30 a.m. she is in her constituency, 9.30 a.m. when the house is rising she is here, at 11.00 a.m. she goes back to her constituency office, comes back to the house, and the same is repeated in the afternoon. She also warrants to get some mileage, but we have never had it to be an issue. For those who benefit, you will appreciate the work that the Parliamentary Service Commission does and why there is need to align the Parliamentary Service Act with those functions of ensuring that they are taking care of your well-being as Members, and also our staff who are doing a very good job for us. It is so that all their welfare matters and well-being are catered for by the Parliamentary Service Commission and not any other body out there. You know what I mean and if you do not, 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."
}