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{
    "id": 218681,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/218681/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 178,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": "So, I gave instructions that if you are an official of the Ministry and you have a company, you should either resign and go and become a full-time contractor or you should wind up the company and become a full-time civil servant. I know that the Minister has given the same instructions. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to conclude by saying something about the local contractors. It is shameful that many years since Independence we have not been able to develop sufficient local capacity in the construction industry. There are very few of our companies which can compete for some of these international contracts. Some of them are not through the fault of our own local contractors. It is basically because of the conditions that are put by the donors that make it impossible for local contractors to compete. Take for example the Northern 1730 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 12, 2007 Corridor running from Mombasa all the way to Malaba, we find that it is funded by a consortium of donors; the World Bank (WB), the European Union (EU) and the Nordic countries. However, we find that not a single local company has won a contract to participate in any section of it. Once these other international companies have won the contract, they do sub-contract almost 100 per cent to the local contractors. We had Straberg Construction Company doing the Mtito-Andei- Sultan Hamud Road, but it was Mugoya Construction which is working there. Now you have got Sogea Construction Company working on this bit going towards Nakuru, but it is Asean that is doing the actual work. This has to do with the agreement signed with donor communities. However, we must insist that local capacity be utilised and that the financial conditions are such that they do not discriminate against local companies. That way, we will be able to develop local capacity here. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, secondly, we also want our own local companies to pull up their socks and do quality work. I know that some of them have been given contracts to do which actually are sub-standard and we feel ashamed that we are promoting a local contractor who is not living up to the expectations of the Government and the people of this country. However, this should be the responsibility of the Ministry to ensure that we develop local capacity that our local contractors are given priority where they are competitive, particularly those projects that are being funded by the Government of Kenya (GOK). This is the only way that we will eventually have companies that are truly Kenyan. We now have Malaysian companies competing against international companies in the Middle East. We have got Indian and Korean companies competing against American, Italian and British companies elsewhere. Why should we not also develop the capacity that Kenyan companies can construct roads in South Africa, Yemen and some of these other countries? It can be done. I am sure that with the commitment that the Minister has, this Government will eventually move towards that direction. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}