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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I want, first of all, to say that I support this Motion. In doing so, let me start by congratulating the Minister for Trade and Industry for being in the forefront in protecting indigenous people of this country in matters relating to trade. I know he has performed very well in WTO negotiations, and in every respect. I know that he has been fighting to ensure that Africans get their fair share in world trade. But, perhaps, closer home, let me congratulate the Minister personally for the action he has taken to revive the Uchumi chain of supermarkets. Had it not been for the Minister and, of course, his staff, Uchumi would have gone forever. However, I want to tell him that, that is not enough. We would like to see the truth surrounding the collapse of Uchumi revealed and the perpetrators punished. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I say this because if you recall, after the Minister issued his statement here, I likened the collapse of Uchumi Supermakets Company Limited to the case of Enron of the United States of America (USA) where clearly insider trading was allowed to interfere with its operations and as a result it went under. We want to see the Minister going that extra mile to ensure that the perpetrators of this crime are punished and this will deter any would- be troublemakers in this troubled industry. I also want him to take action on tax evasion by 2308 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 25, 2006 Nakumatt Holdings and other supermarkets. While Uchumi Supermarkts Company Limited was paying its taxes faithfully, the others were not doing so and this is what led to its downfall. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, having said that, let me talk on a very important matter of industrialisation. Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu cities plus all other urban areas are awash with job seekers. The only solution to this problem is by deliberately starting a policy of rural industrialisation. The Government must work hard towards this policy so that we have industries spread out all over the country in order that young people seek employment there. That is the only way we will ensure that we do not have so many slums as we do in this country. The Ministry must discuss this matter with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that those investors who put up industries in the rural areas receive very generous incentives including tax holidays and free duty and equipment. I am sure with the rural electrification programme that is now going on, it is time the Ministry made a difference in rural industrialisation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, however, perhaps an even more critical issue here is indigenous persons getting into industries. We know that in the name of private investments, local Kenyans do not own anything in this country. We know of countries with very strict policies whereby investors are invited and made to ensure that a bigger percentage of their investment involves the indigenous people. I want to request the Minister, because I know he is for the indigenous people to ensure that a policy is devised to involve the indigenous people in industrialisation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a lot of Kenyans have shops but they cannot develop due to lack of support from the Government in terms of loans. We want to see a deliberate policy to involve the Kenyan African in industrialisation so that they can propser. We had a very successful Kenyanisation programme during those days after Independence where Kenyans got into business. However, today those people pretending to be partners in industry are actually there as window dressers. Some of them have contributed nothing but they are just put there. We want Kenyans to be given money to be able to get into industry so that they can benefit like any other people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on that note, I want to address another very important issue of the small-scale traders. What has gone wrong? We used to have what were call joint board loans in every district where the small-scale traders could access loans so that they could improve their businesses. This was a very worthwhile project. I know someone will say it exists but I know it does not exist in the way it used to because I was in the Provincial Administration then and I know how many business people we helped to get loans. In fact, some of them succeeded. So, I am appealing to the Minister again in the spirit of developing the African trader to quickly revive this fund so that every small businessman in every district can access it without the need for security. We have got problems particularly in hardship areas where there are no title deeds. We want the Government to be able to give small-scale traders loans. I want to request the Minister to look very carefully at the Jua Kali sector because it has created a lot of employment but we think it is not enough. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) used to give loans to business people particularly Africans. We do not know what has happened. This is an example of some of the institutions which were deliberately \"killed\" but I do not want to go back to history. Let us look forward. I want to urge the Minister to revive joint board loans for small-scale traders under the district programmes. The Minister should put a minimum of Kshs50,000 loan and I am sure it will make a lot of difference. The Minister should ensure that the ICDC disburses bigger loans to those businessmen who have proved themselves so that they uplift their standards. In a nutshell, I am saying that this Ministry holds the key to reducing unemployment and poverty in this country. There are so many ways that the Ministry can improve the living standards July 25, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2309 of our people from the Jua Kali, dukawallah and all other sectors. As of now, the Ministry is only servicing those who have made it. Those who have not made it are mainly Kenyan Africans and they are waiting for the Minister for Trade and Industry to assist them in the manner I have described. With these few remarks, I beg to support the Vote very strongly."
}