HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 180332,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/180332/?format=api",
"text_counter": 211,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Khalwale",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 170,
"legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
"slug": "bonny-khalwale"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I would like to rise so as to have an opportunity to not only support this Motion, but also thank the Minister, especially for the tone of his Motion which he has just moved, especially in view of where we have just come from in terms of experiences in this House when such a Motion was presented to us. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I support the Minister, I would like, at this point, to decry the projection that our economy is going to grow at a mere 4 to 5 per cent. That is because, under normal circumstances, we were looking forward to our economy growing at a rate of 8 per cent, 9 per cent and 10 per cent. But thanks to the politicians of Kenyans; the tribal chiefs, the warlords of the Republic of Kenya who visited violence on this country to the extent that our economy came to a standstill for a period of six months. Some of those politicians are today wallowing in big positions, with total disregard to the role they played in killing our economy for six months. There we are. It is a pity that in a country of 38 million people, when you talk to the banking sector, we are told that we have got a mere 3.8 million account holders. If only 3.8 million Kenyans can hold accounts in our banks in a country of 38 million people, it means, only 10 per cent of the population of Kenya is participating at a very crucial level of doing business with the banking sector. I would like to applaud the Minister for the comments he made about the Government's commitment and endeavour to make sure that there is rural electrification across the country. That, to the people of this country, is a very welcome move and Mr. Minister, we will continue to support you on that noble course. As we debate this Bill, we are debating it in an environment whereby we remember that the World Bank, IMF and, America in particular, came to us and told us ten to 20 years ago that the magic of success in economy is a free market economy. I would like to remind the Minister that the issue of a free market economy where you let the prices of goods, especially foodstuffs, to be determined by market forces, is a very dangerous phenomenon. It has taken the meltdown on the Wall Street and the bail-out by the American Government of the same mess. They have now admitted that the issue of free market economy is nonsense. I am particularly trying to persuade you, Mr. Minister, that you must move and introduce price controls on strategic items such as food and petrol because \"America the great\" has admitted: \"Yes, a free market economy is not possible in this world of very many greedy people.\" Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, now that the vote has been cast in the USA, I want now to call upon the cousin of hon. Raila Oginga Odinga, our own brother, His Excellency President-elect, Obama to remind the whole world and also apologise to the whole world that the policies they pursued as a great nation of the world, were wrong. The issue of free market has caused us the kind of suffering that we are seeing. I am surprised that the former Vice-President who is now the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security is saying that the mess in America is not going to affect us because of the levels of banking. You cannot be too sure, Mr. Minister. That is because the world now is a global economy. Imagine the amount of funds that are usually brought from USA by Kenyans who work there; the amount of money that is brought into this economy by people who work in Britain and other western countries. Obviously, those amounts of funds will come down and it is likely to affect our economy. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to compliment this Minister on the issue November 11, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3355 of zero-rating of VAT not only on international air travel, but also on motorcycle business. I remember when I was a freshman in this House and raised a Question about boda boda, there was a particular cheeky Member of Parliament who said that boda boda is only a business for Luos and Luhyas of this country. I am glad that the Republic of Kenya has finally discovered that the little boy who invented boda boda by moving from Busia Kenya to Busia Uganda and therefore, brought"
}