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{
    "id": 238074,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/238074/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 220,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. Although my colleague will ask me to assist in moving an amendment, I will contribute to the Motion as it is. I want to thank Mr. Syongo for bringing this Motion. I believe what he intended to do is to resurrect what we started in 1963 and then failed; affirmative action for Kenyans. If you recall, in 1963, the independent Government of Kenya started a move to empower Kenyans on trade related issues. You have heard of the famous Biashara Street and River Road activities culminating in the famous case of Wangu and others versus the Nairobi City Council where a mischievous English judge said that he was not quite sure what an African meant. The aim at that time was to empower indigenous Kenyans to participate in trade and trade activities in the country. The aim was to curtail the manufacturer from following the chain, distribute and retail at the same time. That policy was very popular. However, it was abused resulting in the notorious 10 per cent activities that we all know from the history of this country. Today, we still have Indians manufacturing, wholesaling, distributing and hawking in this country. I believe this is the noble idea that Mr. Syongo wants to bring out in this long-worded Motion. It is a noble idea! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a country called Malaysia where the former Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, embarked on an affirmative action for Malaysians. He made it law that no foreign company could go to Malaysia and start any business without a local October 25, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3119 partnership, no foreign country can go to Malaysia and start a construction outfit without Malaysians participating. This is the only way we can help our people to grow. In real terms, we do not want foreigners to come and pick some people from Koinange Street and make them directors of their companies without intending to have them as directors, just to have a veneer of local participation. How do we achieve what Mr. Syongo is looking for? First, we need to set aside money for local entrepreneurship. The Motion says that this sector contributes 20 per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It can even contribute up to 50 per cent if we co-ordinate and support it properly. We need to put aside a special fund. This fund can even be syndicated from local banks. It can also be extracted from the Exchequer. We have already put some money for the Youth Enterprises Fund whose modalities of distribution is still not quite clear. That is the kind of affirmative action we need to jump-start the local entrepreneurship. I have never understood how and why only Mr. Sungu's constituents stay in the Lake the whole night fishing and as soon as they land on the beaches, they hand over the fish to Indians to export and distribute internally. What do they pay them? Starvation wages!"
}