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{
    "id": 221027,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/221027/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 283,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Sungu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 324,
        "legal_name": "Gor Eric Sungu",
        "slug": "gor-sungu"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have taken cognisance of your comment. However, I want to say that these Bills are very necessary, particularly this one. Kenyan workers have suffered for a long time and we need to support them. They have been exploited, under-paid and mistreated. As my colleagues said, some are even locked inside factories at night. The owner goes away. We have had cases of workers getting burnt in these factories. This has happened several times in Nairobi. It is inhuman. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, labour officers who protect the workers do not exist in Kenya. It is merely an excuse for them to make money from the employer where there is a dispute. Hon. Members of Parliament have turned into trade unionists. Workers come to us with problems and keep asking us to help them here and there. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will limit my contribution to very few issues. I want to talk about the issue of employment agencies. Only the other day, we heard of an employment agency which was getting people to go work in the Middle East. People lost countless amounts of money. The agency did not refund the money. They could, therefore, not recover it. I am glad that this Bill addresses that issue. Some Kenyans who go to work abroad work under slave-like conditions. We ought to protect Kenyans. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we all know the Armed Forces is an essential organ of our institutions. I must urge the institutions excluded to exercise due care in view of our laws. There must be some fairness. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Clause 4(2) says: \"The Minister may after consultation with the Board and after taking account of all conventions and other international instruments ratified by Kenya, by order, exclude from the application of all or part of this Act limited categories of employed persons in respect of whom special problems of a substantial nature arise.\" When making law, we have to make them very clear. We cannot leave it very vaguely worded. I will leave it at that. I know we will have a very big job at the Committee Stage to ensure that this Bill is proper. There will be many amendments. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am very happy with the creation of the Board. This Board has been given the role of advising the Government on the question of, amongst others, work permits for foreigners. I come from a background of the private sector. I know that there are many con men who are not qualified. They do not even hold degrees. They hold only diplomas, but they hold senior positions in foreign-owned companies when there are better qualified Kenyans. This should never happen. You will never get any work in the United States of America (USA), or in the United Kingdom (UK), if you are not properly qualified. This is the only country where we glorify the colour of somebody's skin and forget his qualifications. No wonder---"
}