Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1477284,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1477284/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 354,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Wajir North, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Ibrahim Saney",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This Bill is very important. I wish to join my colleagues in appreciating the work that has been done by Hon. KJ and members of his Committee. I will not forget that he has broadened the nomenclature from technopolis being reduced to a Konza City issue to accommodating Wajir North. Buna, Korondile and Wajir North sub-counties are part and parcel of the technopolis. Initially, it was limited to Konza. The realisation that this technology is a global issue and a countrywide need in itself is worth giving him and his Committee the accolades they so deserve. Technology is very important. We have seen the wonders Artificial Intelligence (AI) is doing these days. You do not have to think. You just ask why should this be or what is this, and everything comes on your phone. Time is of essence these days, courtesy of technology. Efficiency has improved in terms of production and doing work. Military aspects, environmental issues, medical issues and farming have benefitted. Even cattle rustling has reduced drastically. Banditry has reduced because the country has deployed wonderful use of technology. You can no longer take a herd of cattle and drive it away thousands of kilometres and make use of them. The military or owners of the herds will catch up with you because technology is at play. That is how technology is in the realm of all facets of our life as a society. I accept that the Authority should regulate and manage the digital and technological aspects of the sector. I am not conversant with the law but I wonder how it correlates with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). Might there be some duplication? We should remember that the Constitution of Kenya is already very expensive to implement. The economy is not doing well. Are we coming up with more institutions to burden taxpayers? Can we not have a secretariat within the CA to regulate and manage this sector rather than create another Authority? This is just an idea. I am not trying to negate this wonderful Bill. Must we create many structures? Must we burden the taxpayers? Is it not worth having a leaner Government that can easily coordinate and deliver efficiently? It is a concern I have. Spreading the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) across all the constituencies and wards is a welcome move. This Bill goes a long way in implementing the ICT hubs espoused by the Kenya Kwanza policy. Over 3,000 Government services have gone digital. If we take this technology to every ward in this country, my constituents in Wajir North, which is on the Ethiopian border, will not have to travel 350 kilometres to Wajir town headquarters just to seek a duplicate of an ID card, birth or death certificate or some clearance from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). All those services will be accessible online. I am sure that this Bill is a blessing and one of the best pieces of legislation we have had in the 13th Parliament. It will make sure that the citizenry has a close interface with their Government and service delivery. In as much as I am talking about all those good things about the Bill, there is a danger. In every good thing, there are risks. I can feel that there are some inherent risks. There should be controls and checks for anything bad emanating from such legislation. The Bill is objective, but how do we secure anything deleterious that can come out of it? Of late we have seen a small falsehood being spun on social media until our country nearly went down during the demonstrations. Yes, picketing and demonstration is a right but the misuse of falsehoods and peddling of lies on social media requires some stringent controls. Anything that is online cannot be taken as the gospel truth. We need serious controls and management of whatever goes through these technological mechanisms. The security of the country is paramount, and that is pegged on what goes through these technologies we intend to support. 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."
}