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{
    "id": 303854,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/303854/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 416,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "approve the privatization of our railway system. I do not want to talk about the rest. We were duped by our own people. Our own people appended signatures to agreements when they knew very well that we were being duped. Even the key investor did not have anything. In fact, he had a negative in his account, yet he was given the project. Finally, we have seen nothing. Our railway system is even more dilapidated than when it was under the management of the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC). In fact, it would have been better to have it under the KRC and we would, probably, have seen some development. Because of the type of agreement that we entered into, it was not easy to discontinue it. The same investor has now sold his interest to an Egyptian company, which is now supposed to be running the railway system. If we are not careful, we can also mortgage the resources of this country to pirates and thieves. We have to be extremely careful. That is why I agree with hon. Mungatana that as much as we want these public/private partnerships, we must be extremely careful because we have so many so-called investors. They are briefcase investors. For example, the RVR was a briefcase investor from South Africa. He never owned anything. Now he has made millions, moved away and he has sold it to somebody else. The LAPSSET project requires billions of dollars. It is a grand idea and I believe that when implemented, it will transform this country, particularly the northern Kenya region. But without private investment, that project is not going to be realized. Already, in our current Budget, as much as we have said that we are committed to LAPSSET, I am sorry to say that we have only allocated it Kshs2 billion. The Minister is here and he can confirm or deny this. He has only allocated Kshs2 billion to the LAPSSET project. What can you do with Kshs2 billion in a project which requires trillions of shillings? So, we need private investors to come on board in this programme so as to have the project realized."
}