Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1492601,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1492601/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 460,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Uasin Gishu County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Gladys Boss",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Chairperson. Just a point of information on Clause 72. The issue is not that we want to lock out our pharmaceutical technologists. It is an international requirement by the WHO which expects us to have this amendment to comply with international standards. Kenya wants to be a pharmaceutical manufacturing country for export. If we leave it as it is now, we shall not be able to export to larger markets like America, Europe, and the rest of Africa if we do not meet international standards. Therefore, this will help Kenya meet international standards. If you remember, this House reduced duties and taxes on anyone manufacturing in Kenya. That is because we want to encourage manufacturers to come to Kenya. We want to become a manufacturing country instead of being a net importer. At the moment, pharmaceutical companies manufacturing in Kenya can only sell to Somalia and Burundi. We, as a country, need to make this amendment to attain maturity level three. The best would be to attain maturity level four. To do so, this amendment is imperative. Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania, which have achieved maturity level three, have already overtaken us. We are going to be locked out of manufacturing in the industry. It is not because we have anything against our pharmaceutical technologists. It is just because this is a requirement by WHO that we meet international standards. In any case, our pharmaceutical technologists will still be able to conduct business, except that they cannot dispense certain levels of drugs. This is a standard rule. As it is, pharmacies cannot dispense some medications without a prescription from a doctor. Some medicines can be sold over the counter and others cannot. You require a prescription. That is a WHO rule. Let us help this country. We are two years behind. We should have done these things immediately after we came into Parliament because we kept saying that 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."
}