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{
    "id": 191005,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/191005/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 178,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Chanzu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 11,
        "legal_name": "Yusuf Kifuma Chanzu",
        "slug": "yusuf-chanzu"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to support the issue of reforms in the telecommunications sector. At the moment, the number of subscribers in this sector is approaching 15 million. We have about 11 million Safaricom subscribers and almost 4 million Celtel subscribers. When the Kenya Communications Act, No.2 of 1998, came into operation, the number of subscribers was hardly two million. So, the Act was designed to take care of hardly two million subscribers. Today, we are talking about 15 million subscribers. Bearing in mind that we are expecting some new players in the market, there needs to be a major overhaul of the Act. It is time that the Kenya Communications Act No.2 of 1998 is totally overhauled, so that we can assess what is expected. If you look at the way the sector has been managed, you will find that it has been very unfortunate. The appointment of Board members and the managers of the sector has been appalling. This is because the Act was designed to take care of very few subscribers. When Safaricom and Celtel came into the market, there was need for a telecommunications service provider because Telkom (Kenya) Limited had been marred with a lot of inefficiencies and corruption. The corporation was not providing services. That is why there was a large vacuum that had to be filled. These two mobile phone operators found a large vacuum which had to be filled. But because the demand was so high, sufficient measures were not put in place to control their operations. No wonder, we have seen the kind of profits Safaricom boasts of making. This is because Safaricom and Celtel have almost been operating as monopolies. I blame this on the previous governments for not opening up the sector and allowing competition early enough. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, a number of years ago when I was in Tanzania and then I went to Uganda, it was very easy to access mobile phone communication. It has been very difficult in this country to access mobile phone communication. In supporting what the Mover of the Motion has said, I would like this Motion to look into overhauling the whole sector. I am happy with what the previous speakers have said. I also happy that one of the Assistant Ministers in the Ministry is here. In fact, I want to praise him because we have been contributing to Motions in this House since we came when Ministers are not here to listen to what we are saying. They wait to hear things from the Press. Some of them have come here and said that they only read from the Press that they were supposed to make Ministerial Statements. I would like to commend the Assistant Minister, hon. Khaniri, for being present. I would like him to take note of this. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, Kenyans were taken for a ride. Hate messages were not only sent after the General Election. People still send us hate messages even now. They try to call you and if you are in the Chamber and you fail to pick the phone, they send you a message that you have become proud. Kenyans have not understood how mobile phones operate. We need to give them a lot of information, so that they can understand that mobile phones are meant to facilitate communication and not the use of abusive language against our own people. Therefore, the reforms in this sector are long overdue. I am happy that the CCK is sourcing for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). I hope this is going to be transparent. This is the organisation that regulates and controls the sector. I hope the process will be transparent enough, so that we do not get into the same situation that we have experienced in the sector. In fact, we were talking about this Motion and I think it is still going on. There was a Motion here yesterday which is also July 2, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1543 very important. I think it relates to this Motion. We were discussing a Motion here on the Order Paper - and I think it was be in the afternoon - the National Ethnic and Race Relations Commission Bill--- I am hoping that, since the Assistant Minister is here, he is going to take that into account so that we can have people serving in that sector and even in the parastatals coming from all over the country. I know that we have highly qualified Kenyans from all over the country. I think they can fit in all those parastatals. With those few remarks, I support this Motion."
}