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"id": 242887,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Ochilo-Ayacko",
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"speaker": {
"id": 347,
"legal_name": "Ochilo George Mbogo Ayacko",
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"content": "You also know that terrorism has taken a covert position in the global security threat. A lot of NGOs are a conduit through which money that funds terrorism is channelled to the terrorists. So, it is important to know our NGOs so that other than being suspected to be drug traffickers like we are, we should equally not be suspected of being channels through which monies that benefit terrorists are brought in. We know that terrorism has no friend and does not love life. We, as a country, have suffered intermittently and continuously from such acts when we are not the authors of such problems. Perhaps the anxiety and difficulty is associated with the Middle East, but when bombs are tossed around, people in Nairobi and Mombasa die in large numbers. When we go abroad we are the ones who are searched in such a dehumanising manner. So, it is very important that we help in fighting this global vice by making sure that we have a record of who is funding who, where and for what reason. There are several other NGOs who raise their presence by resisting development in the name of environment and preservation of certain non-quantified benefits to this country. I want to cite an example that I came upon when I was the Minister for Energy. The Sondu-Miriu Hydro Electricity Project was resisted by NGOs, citing the fact that its construction would lead to the drying up of water wells that were being utilised by the communities there. When I went to Japan to talk about it, the Japanese Government, through their representative, had to tell us very clearly that if we do not tell the NGOs to keep their activities low, then they would withhold their funding. In fact, I remember that in the activities of some of these NGOs, there were boats that were being used to cross Sondu River. Those boats were for ferrying people from one side of the river known as Nyakach, to another side known as Kasipul-Kabondo represented by my good friend, hon. Paddy Ahenda. Now, the NGOs made a lot of noise and the owners of these boats insisted that they had to be compensated by being paid Kshs1 million. That Kshs1 million was not a gift. It was part of the loan that has been loaded upon Kenyans, and Kenyans of today and tomorrow will have to pay this money, and yet as part of benefit to the communities living there, the project owners had agreed to construct a bridge across the river. So, these people who were citing loss of income because their income was out of the desperation of others, had to be bailed out by being given Kshs1 million credit to some noisy NGOs who opposed development. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are other NGOs who bring personalities to this country to do certain jobs that locals are able to do. These personalities earn salaries that are as high as the moon; in fact, near the sun, and are perennially on holiday. Now, it is important to enjoin these NGOs in the proposed Bill, to make sure that their presence in this country does not deny the locals jobs that they can do and services that the locals can render. I remember I was in the United States of America (USA) when I was a Member of the last Parliament when the Congress was up in arms about money that was being given to other countries as aid. It was pointed out to Congress July 13, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2109 that only 1 per cent of that money goes abroad and that 1 per cent is earned back by the USA through other arrangements, including through salaries that must constitute 70 per cent of that donation. So, if you are given a donation of Kshs100,000, you can be sure that the person who brings it will earn Kshs70,000 out of it and his presence in the country will occasion additional expenditures that are repatriated to the originating country. So, it is important to analyse the cost and benefit of such arrangements because at the end of it all, you may be \"hitting the smell of the food\" but the real food is eaten by the people who purport to cook it for you. So, that is very important if the Minister could capture it in the regulations. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to say that a lot of these NGOs, at times, occasion activities that are injurious to this country. If you look at the plight of sports and athletes in this country, their departure from this country is actually accelerated by the presence of certain NGOs. Those NGOs come around purporting to train these people, then they take them to other countries, make them \"citizens\" of those other countries and on more than one occasion, deprive these people off their sweat by swindling them of what they have rightfully earned. So, it is important to regulate such activities. There are even organisations involved in football that are very troublesome to the Government. If you look at them, you will find that they are NGOs. Recently, there was an attempt at constructing about 500 low-cost houses somewhere at Isinya, Athi River, in Kajiado District. That attempt was being done by an NGO; an NGO that has operated in this country with poor people, and also that purports to be giving service to poor people. I do not want to assess what benefits that NGO has brought to this country, but that attempt was vigorously fought by another NGO which purported to say that the construction of those houses was going to interfere with the wildlife corridor between Athi River and some other place. However, if you read between the lines, you would find out that, that opposition was for the reason that the poor people who were intended as beneficiaries of the low-cost housing would be taken away from Kibera and Mathare slums. So, these NGOs, even in their own fight, they can cause grass to suffer a lot, and it is important for this country, which has a Government and citizens who are in need, to welcome people who want to engage in constructive development. However, it is also important that in our desperation for help and assistance, we do not allow other people to swindle others in our name because we, as a country, are the ones who are going to have the bad name and miss that service that we so desire. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Mr. Minister, through the Chair, you saw recently that there were quarrels at the NGO Council board. That quarrel was very shameful. It is important to streamline the regulations that govern elections of members of such a board so that we do not get that kind of shameful treatment. It is also important that members of the public get value for the service that statutory bodies that are created in their seal give. However, more importantly, and in conclusion, I want to say that every entity, both biological and non-biological, which includes the NGOs, must obey the law. For them to obey the law, they must be defined by a particular law and reminded that there are other laws that are important for the welfare of this country to be obeyed, because without obedience to the law, what we are likely to witness is chaos. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}