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{
    "id": 1490483,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490483/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 296,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "I appreciate that in this mediated version of the Bill, Clause 4 now provides for the opportunity to engage with the citizens and seek their views. It is at this point that citizens can give their views. Perhaps, even put a limit on what will be the allowed charge and the time period within which they need to pay. If, for example, you live within the City of Nairobi, you know that the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) expects you to pay your water bill by the end of every month. However, given the enormous task that they have and how big a city like Nairobi is, they do not have the resources and manpower to meet the demands of every citizen. Therefore, it is not unusual to find citizens who occasionally go even for three, four, five, or six months without honoring their obligations. Therefore, you end up creating unnecessary extra costs on the contracting authority. This is because they now have to contract people to move around and check if you have complied with the demands for payment. That is why I agree, with what Sen. Wamatinga has said. Out of his experience, because these are private entities, we hope that they will make use of available modern technology of smart meters where when you run short of your tokens, the water stops. They do not need to employ people to walk around with a big spanner. Sometimes, they have to fight with dogs to access where the meter is located in the house. You simply put a stop to this kind of game by use of available technology. That will also help. This is the beauty of our PPP Act. In this country, there is a sudden conversation that is ongoing about PPPs generally, whether they are legally useful and effective in resolving many of the service needs of our citizens. I am a big believer in PPP. Many countries, especially comparable jurisdictions that have even bigger populations than ours, have used the power of PPP to develop their societies. They have ensured that citizens pay a competitive fee that is not exploitative, but at the end of the day, find world-class service. Of course, this Express Way has been referred to many times as being the embodiment or the poster child of what a successful PPP will look like. It will serve us great as a nation, upon the signing of this Bill having passed today here. We will have these contracting agents. Once they enter into partnership with private companies, they will bring the efficiency of the private sector in running this institution as opposed to what presently exists. Part of the reason many counties continue to suffer under the burden of huge public wages after the health workers, the second most expensive public servants for counties to hire, are those that work in our water service agencies. Many of those were inherited from the municipalities. You will find even a driver is earning more than what technical people earn in other competitive sections of the county governments because that is the rate upon which they were contracted. Private sector money and the involvement of the private sector in this particular space will ensure that our water service agencies become competitive. Therefore, it will ensure that citizens do not have to pay a lot of money. Citizens end up paying lots of money to compensate first for employees and secondly, for water loss through leakages The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}