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{
    "id": 255035,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/255035/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 186,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. M'Mukindia",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 271,
        "legal_name": "Kirugi Joseph Laiboni M'Mukindia",
        "slug": "kirugi-mmukindia"
    },
    "content": "The building of regional integration should not be left only to the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, of which I am a Member. We have pleaded with Ministers to visit the region but they do not do that. This is where we have comparative advantage in terms of our exports. Why do we concentrate on far-away lands and not on our immediate neighbours? I think His Excellency the President should crack the whip on this issue so that Cabinet Ministers and civil servants can concentrate on the region more rather than visit far countries where they are accused of trying to get per diem . Their interest is not to serve the country but to earn money. Kenyans might be forgiven for thinking so. Why do we not concentrate our effort on where we have comparative advantage? Therefore, are we not guilty of perhaps, trying to earn money and not serving the country? Let all of us think about that matter. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am glad about the legislative agenda which is very 164 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 29, 2006 heavy. Only seven Bills were passed out of 25 Bills brought before the House in the last Session. However, hon. Members cannot be blamed for that. We have severally requested for the extension of this House or even to sit on Fridays. Why have we not been allowed to sit on Fridays? Why do we not change and start sitting on Fridays? We have a lot of work in this Session, but will we achieve anything? We ought to have longer sitting hours or more sitting days so that we can deal with the very heavy legislative agenda. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the proposed Small Entrepreneurs and Micro-Finance Bill that will come before this House. However, let it be Small Entrepreneurs Micro-Finance Bill and not Micro-Banks Bill. This is because there is a danger of creating more banks rather than micro-finance institutions which can serve wananchi. On the Banking (Amendment) Bill, 2004, I would like to encourage the Minister for Finance not to come and convince the House to legalise illegalities. We will not pass that Bill if he tells the banks which have stolen money from Kenyans for years that we will legalise that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to support the Motion."
}