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{
"id": 228930,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/228930/?format=api",
"text_counter": 204,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Mwau",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 360,
"legal_name": "Adelina Ndeto Mwau",
"slug": "adelina-mwau"
},
"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to say that the Youth Enterprise Development Fund is a welcome idea. In addition, the Women Enterprise Development Fund is also a very welcome idea because women form 48 per cent of small and medium enterprises in this country. So, this will go a long way in enhancing women's businesses and initiating them into the mainstream of the economy. They have remained invisible traders for a long time. I would urge the Ministry which will be responsible for this fund to initially issue loans to them in the form of grants, so that they can repay them later. This will go a long way in uplifting their businesses. Currently, they borrow loans from the Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) at a very high interest rate of 20 per cent. If they do not repay them on time, they are required to pay a penalty of Kshs200 daily for the days they have defaulted in repaying. So, it is really a welcome idea. I recommend that before they benefit from this fund, they be trained in bookkeeping, business adminstration and identifying businesses that are viable, so that they can participate in the mainstream of the economy. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, most of the contracts in this country are being awarded to men. Very few of them are awarded to women because they are not in the mainstream of this economy. So, I hope they will take advantage of this fund, apply for loans and be awarded contracts. Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the proposed increase of judges in the Presidential Speech is a welcome idea because justice delayed is justice denied. Cases of women suffering from gender-based violence have been dragging on for a long time. With an increased number of judges, those cases will be dealt with faster. Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the economy of this country has actually grown. For sure, we used to sell our milk at Kshs7 per litre, but now we sell it at Kshs20 to Kshs30 per litre. The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) has been re-opened so livestock farmers have a market for their animals. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are now enjoying water in ASAL areas. For the last 40 years, a lot of us have never seen a borehole. For the first time we are seeing the Ministry of Water and Irrigation commissioning more boreholes. I want to urge for more funding for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, so that ASAL areas benefit from water and become self-sufficient in food production. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to talk about electricity. The President, in March 28, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 189 his Speech, said that the money allocated to fund the Rural Electrification Programmes (REPs) has been increased to Kshs7 billion over the last four years. As a result, more areas have been connected with electricity. However, contractors are letting us down. It is, therefore, important for the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) to identify the right contractors who will do their work properly. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}