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{
    "id": 240717,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/240717/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 187,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Odoyo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 340,
        "legal_name": "Peter Ochieng Odoyo",
        "slug": "peter-odoyo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the issue of quality is paramount. Many at times multinationals dump products in the local market. If you take the case of coca cola, the quality of coke in Nairobi and Viena, for example, where I was recently, is different. Why is it that we are allowing multinationals to dump their low quality or nearly expired products in our markets? The time is ripe for us to say that we have, indeed, unscrupulous traders who are also importing products where by the \"sell by\" date has expired. They have found a way of changing the labels of the \"sell by\" date. We have many consumers in Kenya consuming expired products under the guise that they are imported. Indeed, those imported products are sold at throw away prices because the \"sell by\" date is about to expire. Traders buy, for example, canned coke and beer and bring them into this country. They have found a way of removing the label that shows the \"sell by\" date. It is just like a few people who have been known to rig elections. These traders later insert an extra or longer \"sell by\" date. The ability of the Government to check this is limited. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) which is limited in what it does. The KEBS can only work on issues of production. Once a product has its stamp saying that it is KEBS compliant, it can be sold anywhere. No one is interested in issues that concern consumers. A multinational may produce ten good products which when tested by the KEBS are shown to be good, but the others are sub-standard. They receive the same stamp and are dumped in the market. The time is ripe for us to say that in as much as we look at the production sector, we must look at various consumer issues. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you visit Nakumatt Supermarket, it is 80 per cent full of imported products. Who checks whether these imported products are the right quality once they are already on the shelves? Unscrupulous businessmen just change the \"sell by\" date. The Government is totally incapacitated to take action. The Minister for Trade and Industry is, indeed, mandated at some level to take action at the consumer level. However, if you look at the laws, regulations and the powers that the Minister has, indeed, he is very incapacitated. I have not heard a case where the Minister was able to stop the operations of one factory of Coca Cola despite a rat, 2350 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 26, 2006 insects and many foreign elements being found in soda bottles. These are cases that occur daily. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask my fellow hon. Members to support this Motion, so that we have a concrete Bill that will enable our able Minister to take action. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}