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{
"id": 186659,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/186659/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Mwakwere",
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"speaker": {
"id": 189,
"legal_name": "Chirau Ali Mwakwere",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have been very attentive. I took note of all the points of order and general contribution made by hon. Members. I respect their observations and views, but my answer is comprehensive. It is so comprehensive that if the Questioner could read each part of the Question and then read my answer, he will, definitely, agree with me that my August 5, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2327 answer is comprehensive and exhaustive. I believe the hon. Member did his studies in the university in English. So, he should really understand and appreciate that it is covered properly. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there was a question of a high court ruling in England two months ago. I am fully aware of that. This was just a problem between the member companies. It has nothing to do with the Government of Kenya or the Government of Uganda. The ruling related to the dispute that was on between themselves. For the information of the hon. members, the said companies that took each other to court in England are actually working together and are shareholders of the RVR. Those were Mirambo of Tanzania and Prime Fuels. They are still working together with RVR and Sheltham of South Africa. That was an internal problem and probably it will be going too far to bring it to the House as a reason why we should cancel the concession. There may be other reasons which are valid. Yes, the speed restriction between Mombasa and Malaba is not just 80 kilometres per hours. It is worse than that. The speed restriction is at 20 miles per hour. That is very low. The reason is that they have not invested in the infrastructure and that contravenes a section of the concession agreement. That is why I authorized the Kenya Railways Corporation, which was the oversight authority to issue a default notice. Once a default notice is issued in relation to the sections of the concession that have not been honoured, the Rift Valley Railways (RVR) has 30 days to put things right or face another notice that would give them a notice to terminate their activities in Kenya. We are handling everything in accordance with the concession. Now, when it comes to individuals being named, as far as I am concerned, we concession to a company. If you want to have the names of those who belong to Sheltham, then all of them are South Africans, whether they are from the same family or clan may not be the issue here. If you look for Mirambo and you want to know the shareholders and directors, then they are Tanzanians. Whether they come from the same tribe, family or clan is not, again, the issue. If you come to another company registered in Kenya and all the members or shareholders are Kenyans, it does not take me by surprise, because that is expected to be so. Maybe if you have your own company and you want to join RVR, then feel free; apply and you will be considered by those who have been concessioned to do this. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there was also an issue raised on the competence of Kenya and Uganda to have gone ahead with the concession. I explained much earlier that it was a collective decision. The order of the day was to give the private sector a chance to manage public enterprises, and there were merits to that. I do not want to blame those who were involved earlier on. As far as I am concerned, when I took over from those who were there before me, who initiated this activity, everything was done overboard. There was competition and according to those who managed the competition, the best company won at that time. They may be failing. If that is the case, then the provisions to the concession will be used to either terminate or allow them to continue."
}