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"id": 215594,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Biwott",
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"legal_name": "Nicholas Kiprono Kipyator Biwott",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Motion. In supporting this Motion, I am fully aware of what the Assistant Minister has said about this Motion; that he and his Ministry agrees with it. Therefore, a way should be found to ensure that it awaits Government action. If that was the case, then the Ministry should have moved faster and taken over this Motion and reproduce it through the Government machinery. But now that it is the property of the House and it is here in the House, I think it should be allowed to go through and they should find a way of harmonising the wishes of the hon. Member who has moved this Motion with those of the Ministry and produce a Bill which will cater for this access of technological advancement. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is no doubt that this is the way to go. The future will depend entirely on this type of development. But it is a complex matter which involves the international community. It is part of the globalization process which is taking place at the moment and most of the business in future will be done through e-commerce. Therefore, the Ministry should spend as much time as possible on this issue in order to get the best for this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I agree with the sentiments that were expressed before I rose to speak about the urban-rural development balance. That can only be achieved if ICT is taken throughout the country, and that will follow the Rural Electrification Programme (REP). The REP has been accelerated and is going on very well and I think we should congratulate the Government on this achievement. It is the integration or co-ordination of commerce and the availability of electricity which should be addressed in order to enable the people to stay in the July 4, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2229 country and participate in international trade, which is going to grow and become a big business in future. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the complexity of this is how to source business, how to get it to the right place and how to get the right service which one wants. That has to be done in complete co-ordination with the collaboration of the sector which deals with quality control in order to ensure that the country and the customers get the best service. At the moment, we are dealing with leave; I mean, this Motion is only asking for leave to introduce a Bill by a private Member, and the Government is agreeing with the private Member. So, it means that there has been a lapse on the part of the Government because they are now following an hon. Member instead of the hon. Member following the Government, which is responsible. I think this is the work of the Attorney-General, the Government and the individual Member who is concerned, to find a way in which they can then participate in the introduction of this Bill in future for the benefit of this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, nobody disagrees with the importance of ICT in this country. It is, in fact, the thing to go for in order to catch up with the rest of the world. Zimbabwe, which is now having teething problems, is advanced in terms of accessing international business, but Kenya should actually move fast and become a centre for outsourcing business to catch up with other countries like India, which is doing a magnificent job in getting business. With those few remarks, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support."
}