Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 237826,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/237826/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 318,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I stand to support the Licensing (Repeals and Amendments) Bill. To echo what has been said by other speakers, indeed, since this particular Bill was published, and I have gone through it, I would have expected that today the relevant departmental committee would have actually been educating Kenyans on the big leaps that the Minister for Finance is making in proposing to repeal these obnoxious laws that have existed in our statute books for such a long time. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am surprised that even as we debate this Bill today, during its Second Reading, and the Order Paper had indicated these things last week, I do not see any representative from that Departmental Committee. I think it speaks volumes about how seriously we take the core business of this House. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have been told about the numerous laws that are supposed to be repealed by this Bill. The only reason why some of these laws exist is not actually to facilitate the orderly conduct of business. It is actually to frustrate upcoming businessmen or businesswomen. It is to frustrate people who want to invest in this country by requiring them to go October 26, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3225 and get licences. They move from one office to another looking for an officer and you are told he is in a workshop. You move from that office to another and you are told that he is now attending a funeral. He may even be addressing people in some churches. The reason why some of these things exist is actually, in my own estimation, an extortionist practice. It is a colonial practice that we must do away with. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in a general way in supporting what the Minister has proposed, I would urge that this House indeed as suggested by my learned friend, the young man from Sirisia, hon. Wetangula, we need to progressively and pro-actively look at the various laws that govern the conduct and establishment of business because it is futile for us to come here and talk about policies. Earlier this afternoon, we were talking about the gender policy. If you look at the policies contained in that Sessional Paper on Gender and Development you will realise that they are so general. Their implementation will be hindered by the existence of obnoxious and restrictive legislation that exist in our books. Therefore, I want to commend the Minister for having come up with this Bill. The reasons are clearly stated in the Memorandum of Objects and Reasons and, therefore, there is really nothing for us to take so much time on. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}