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"speaker_name": "Mr. Poghisio",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I join my friends in supporting this Motion. I understand where the Minister's argument is coming from. I also understand his position of not really putting much focus on statutes and laws. We would rather build institutions that would actually improve consumer rights. It is valid that the whole law around lobbying should be developed and strengthened. Members of the public need to know that they have a right to this regard. What, for example, are the basic benchmarks that one looks at on a consumer product and declare it satisfactory? We are not trained enough to know that if we see a certain mark on a July 26, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2355 product, then it is a good product. We should not push this Bill to the Ministry of Trade and Industry only. I think consumption goes beyond the Ministry of Trade and Industry. There is more now to be consumed than just goods. In this time and age, information is even much more abused than any other good that we know of. The kind of information we get on products is very important. For example, a lot of things are written on a bottle that contains water and ordinary consumers are made to believe that it is actually pure water. However, what is it that can show us that the details shown there are true and that the water is pure? The consumers themselves need to be strengthened and trained. The eye of the consumer is the one that needs to be trained. We have become victims of consumer things. I keep on saying that the Kenyan consumer allows himself or herself to be exploited because of the poverty in the country. For example, you would like to have a radio, but the brand names that are known are very expensive. So, you just go for the nearest, as long as the thing makes some sounds for you to listen to the news or music. So, we go for those products because of need. A person who has been used to, or allowed himself or herself to accept mitumbas as good clothing, does not see any reason why brand new clothes should be bought. There is a problem with the total consumer environment. I think that is what we need to strengthen. First of all, we need the consumer to protect himself or herself. If a chemical has environmental problems and you are told what to do to protect yourself, you better protect yourself first, before you think of what the Government can do to protect you. That brings us to the basic point that we, as consumers, have allowed ourselves to be exploited. I think we need to move on from there. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am not interested in bringing issues of Kacheliba to this place but let me, for example, talk about an idea that came out from a paper yesterday - thePeople Daily . It had an headline: \"Government Orders Probe on Kacheliba CDF kitty.\" That is an excuse to attack me. I would have liked the probe to be done yesterday. I am saying that I need to be probed. It is good to probe me and the CDF kitty. But who has written that in the paper? It is my opponent! That is the person who has been losing to me perennially. He is allowed to write in that newspaper. I said: \"That is fine! I would like to be probed.\" For example, since the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) began, we have never received the Kshs60 million which they claim was misused. Kacheliba, being a small constituency, received Kshs6 million first. Then, we received Kshs21 million and now, Kshs28 million. So, if I am squandering and misusing over Kshs60 million, then it must be my own money. The truth of the matter is that the writer of the story, Mr. Wandeto, had called me earlier to say: \"We have a story on you and we are going to publish it!\" I told him and I quote: \"Put it in bold!\" True to his word, it was done in bold. It is because those people are used to being bribed in the streets of Kitale. If you want information to be published in Kitale, you will find those people who can publish whatever you want for you. It is a travesty of journalism. Being a former teacher of journalism myself, I have seen a travesty of journalism. That is an abuse of the consumer rights of the people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there has been a problem in West Pokot; the disappearance of relief food! But because the District Commissioner is part and parcel of the disappearance of relief food, 1,700 bags suddenly disappeared. But because I raised that issue, they want to hit back at me. They thought that, that was the best way to do it."
}