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"id": 234167,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234167/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Katuku",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Water and Irrigation",
"speaker": {
"id": 281,
"legal_name": "John Mutua Katuku",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to make my views on this Bill. At the onset, I want to say that I support this Tobacco Control Bill. I also want to thank the Minister and her team for 3758 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 16, 2006 introducing this Bill which we have been waiting for a long time. At the same time, I also want to thank hon. Sungu who also had introduced a similar Bill. I also want to recognise the efforts the Ministry has put in to take hon. Sungu on board on this issue because their common purpose is to give Kenyans a regulatory system as relates to this industry. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I hope the spirit of this Bill has nothing to do with punishing anybody. We should take it positively. Those who are in the industry, system, Government and Ministry should not be seen as being punitive in any manner but rather protecting the rights of each individual in the industry and in this country. The rights of smokers must be respected but the rights of non-smokers like me must also be respected. That is why this Bill is very important and I support it. My rights also must be respected because I do not see why I should suffer in the hands of a smoker who wants to smoke around me and then I suffer the same effects. So, the arguments which have been advanced by some of the players in the industry that the Government is out to kill the industry are not true. Nobody wants to kill the industry. We appreciate the role being played by the tobacco industry, the taxes collected and employment created by this industry either directly or indirectly. There are those who are doing tobacco business, selling cigarettes and growing the products. Those are the basics. Nobody in this country would want to see those people lose their jobs but in the same breath, those who are engaged in that business must make sure that others who are not interested in it are also protected. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the revenue we get as a Government from the tobacco industry compared to what we spend in treatment or managing those who are affected by the effects of this substance is minimal. When I was working in Treasury, we used to get very handsome cheques from some of the companies involved in this industry but at the same time, Treasury gives a lot of money to the Ministry of Health to manage those who are affected by the effects of cigarette smoking. So, we must balance this and that is why I am saying the Bill must be seen in that light. I would want to appeal to hon. Members of this House that when we come to the Committee Stage, we must rise above influences because some of us might be influenced by their positions like personally I will be influenced by the way I hate smokers and anybody affecting me. We should also guard against those people who might be influenced by those who are benefiting from the industry and look at the Bill with sober minds, so that we do not punish anybody in this country in terms of the extent to which one may have been influenced. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am not saying that hon. Members have been influenced in any way. I am saying, nobody should imagine that whatever we do here is out of influence. What we do here should be aimed at safeguarding the rights and interests of every Kenyan. We would want to see those who are in the industry to continue with their work without affecting other people who may not be interested in consuming their products. The Bill contains some specific clauses which seek to protect under-age people. I want to fully agree with the Assistant Minister that some of our youths are being dragged into smoking unduly through influence. There was a time when smoking was regarded as fun among the youth. During that time, if you were seen smoking, you would be highly regarded by your peers. However, subsequent anti-smoking campaigns turned smoking into a shameful act. It is no longer fashionable to smoke in public. In fact, many people find it shameful to do so. That is what we look forward to inculcating into our children in school. Smoking used to be fun. Most of the youths started smoking due to peer influence. About 45 per cent of smokers in this country are below the age of 20 years. That is why I am saying, we should guard against influence on the youths. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of our youths have been affected because they no longer smoke the ordinary cigarettes. They find themselves smoking bhang. Some fellows are very crafty. They pack bhang in cigarette packages. Due to the fact that it is illegal to trade in November 16, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3759 certain substances, crafty individuals access ordinary cigarette packaging material which they use to package bhang. So, the fellow appears to smoke an ordinary cigarette when he is actually smoking bhang. Some people have been tricked and found themselves smoking the wrong substance. Many years ago, while I was in school, there was a day we went out on a school trip. One of my fellow students went smoking with a group from another school and got drugged. When asked what happened, he replied that he smoked something which was like any other smoke. We found that he was drugged by a certain substance. I am, therefore, saying that we should ensure that the people who handle such substances do not access young people. We must protect our young people from being tempted to indulge in these substances. So, I fully support the clause that prohibits the sale of cigarettes to young people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also important to note that, in this country, we have people who grow tobacco. They earn their living through tobacco cultivation. As we discourage smoking, the demand for tobacco will decline, and tobacco farmers may lose their economic activity. I note that one of the clauses of this Bill proposes that part of the taxes to be levied on tobacco be channelled towards promoting alternative activities for the people who will lose their economic activities as a result of this legislation. This provision will assist the affected people to undertake new activities. Obviously, the passage and implementation of this Bill, among other measures, will lead to reduced consumption of tobacco products even if we try to balance matters. Therefore, we must have a programme in place to ensure that tobacco farmers are cushioned as we implement the resultant law of this Bill. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I note that the Bill talks about limiting advertisement of tobacco products and certain activities on social responsibility. We will also lose support in those areas. Therefore, I would like some provisions to be made for those advertising to sponsor some of those activities like football. The aspect of social responsibility by companies dealing in tobacco will not go away. I do not expect those companies to pull out of their social responsibility. However, I would like the Minister to introduce a clause that will provide some kind of support for some of the social responsibilities that are being curtailed by this Bill, so that players in this industry can be cushioned against budgetary shortfalls. With those many remarks, I beg to support."
}