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"id": 3137,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/3137/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Mututho",
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"speaker": {
"id": 97,
"legal_name": "John Michael Njenga Mututho",
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"content": "Madam Temporary deputy Speaker, I do not have to over- emphasize the fact that people who expect to be protected by the law must also respect it. I am glad that the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare is here. I urge him to visit Israel and Ethiopia, among other countries, to see how much flower farm workers are paid. Here in Kenya, they are subjected to slavery wage. Whether we want to believe it or not, slavery exists in the flower farms. We want them to be paid is a living wage. This is so critical to any human being who is in this industry. We do not want to be told stories that housemaids are now paid Kshs18,000. Have we taken time to understand what kind of house girls we are talking about in the flower farms? The target for this particular industry is Kshs7,500. That should be the minimum amount they should earn. I also believe that no one should earn less than Kshs7,500. If we add other goodies, they should earn a minimum of Kshs12,000. However, some flower companies are paying workers a paltry Kshs3,300 per month. One of them is Sunbird Kenya Limited. This company is owned by our good friends from Israel. Two weeks ago, I was in Israel. Flower farm workers there are paid a salary of US$1,300. If you convert this into our currency, it is over Kshs100,000. If you see a pay slip of a flower worker in Kenya, it reads as follows:- It shows PIN Number, number of days worked and what he earns per day which is Kshs110 per day. He earns a salary of Kshs3,300 per month. It also shows house allowance of Kshs600, overtime at Kshs23.80 per hour or Kshs249.9 per month, NSSF and NHIF deductions of Kshs200 and Kshs120, respectively, welfare zero, extra advance zero, total deductions, Kshs320, net pay for the month is Kshs3,629.90. This is a worker in a flower farm owned by an Israeli who exports flowers. Who are our competitors? These are companies from Israel, South Africa and Latin America. If we are talking about the same market, even if we take advantage of air transport, they are paying their workers over Kshs100,000. How do we expect to compete with them when we are paying our workers Kshs3,300 per month? This is not fair. The other day, Naivasha Municipal Council constructed a mortuary for flower farms in Naivasha. Why? Because there are many deaths reported on daily basis. These deaths are not as a result of road accidents, but because of the chemicals used in flower farms. This was a gift. However, for a couple of years, the local people have refused to use it. If some people can give you a gift of a morgue, then something must be terribly wrong somewhere. Of course, there are companies, for example, Finlays who are paying their workers very well. Finlays is an international company. They are also compliant with all the statutes. However, all the cowboys of the flower farmers do not follow our 23 statutes, which are prescribed by this Parliament. But instead they follow their own statutes. It is sad that the Government allows them to exploit our people. So, the hon. Ministers present should check it out. Why do we pass laws here and allow some people to ignore them and use their own laws? Something is definitely not right."
}