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{
    "id": 1472232,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1472232/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 354,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "The other very important requirement is that these companies or IPPs agreements are to be made public on their website and in their annual audit reports, so that Kenyans can look at them and make their concerns known, so that the value for money can be assessed and that Kenyans can now get a good deal from it. We have to state very clearly that the energy purchase agreement is a rip-off. The people of this country have been ripped off for years. Some of the people who own these IPPs, we are told are either former Government officials or people who worked for these public utilities like Kenya Power and Lighting Corporation (KPLC) and Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, even as we discuss this Bill, we need also to find a way of how we can deal with those who have stolen from us through expensive Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). As we support this Bill, we should also look for the thieves who have stolen from us for years. I call them the ‘thieves’ because this is stealing. They must be brought to book. We must know the faces behind the PPAs and they must account for all the money they have stolen from Kenyans through these satanic and expensive agreements which they have signed with the people of Kenya. Additionally, the provisions to ensure that Section 5 of the Access to Information Act (ATI), is an important amendment. Access to information is a constitutional right in this country. However, this right has been curtailed in many of these public offices. This is a piece of information that should be easily available. I was surprised that even the Committee had difficulties in accessing these contracts. It should not be a problem to access a contract between investors and the Kenyan public through some of these public utilities. These amendments will make it easy for the public to access some of this critical information and process it to ensure that it is aligned to the interests of the people, good practices and it has value for money. These amendments will ensure that the long-standing problem of expensive PPAs between the Kenyan Government through its key utilities, energy utilities and the IPPs are handled. As I said, even as we pass this Bill, I encourage the Committee not to tire. They should continue investigating this matter, so that we get to know who are these dark forces behind the IPPs. Why is it impossible to bring to book these people? Are they living on this earth or are they living elsewhere? If there are people who are living on this earth and in this country, why is it so difficult to get them? If you start calculating how much this country has lost through these IPPs, some of them were started during President Moi's time, to date. Many years back. You will probably find that this is the money we need to build another airport and we do not need to bring Adani here. We can get money from these criminals to build an airport and other utilities. I commend Sen. Sifuna for this very important and bold amendment. I know the owners of IPPs will be out to fight these amendments, but I ask the Senate to stand firm. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this House has in the recent days has been in the eyes of the people as a House that is serving Kenyans. Last week, what the Committee on Roads and Transportation did really gave Kenyans another fresh sense that we have an institution that is working for us. This is the second one and I encourage our committees to deal with The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}