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{
"id": 315135,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/315135/?format=api",
"text_counter": 291,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "38 Wednesday, 29th August, 2012(A) Mr. Namwamba",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the law is intended to address mischief in a manner that makes life more bearable and society a better place for everybody. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have had a tendency in this country to concentrate so much on other forms of criminal conduct, for instance, lately, we have all been obsessed with Al Shabaab and criminal characters that engage in related activities. But we, as a country, have not been very good in confronting what is characterized as economic crimes. There is no economic crime that is worse and that has more debilitating ramifications than those crimes that are committed against ordinary people that are largely defenceless. People who fall in the category of Kenyans that were worst hit by this wave of the so-called pyramid schemes at their height. We have had heart rending stories here of retirees and pensioners who sunk all their hard earned savings into these schemes only to watch all that go down the drain. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this law could not have come at a more appropriate time. In fact, one could say that it is, perhaps, a bit late in the day. Therefore, I really want to commend my good brother, Dr. Khalwale, for, once again, being a trail blesser by bringing this critical and also very historic piece of legislation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know that any lawyer will tell you that a law is not ordinarily applied retrospectively in the sense, you do not apply it backwards. You apply a law today and into the future. So, it is absolutely heart rending further that this law will not save those in the past who have already suffered great loss. I am particularly encouraged by Clause 8 of this Bill that provides that this Act does not limit, restrict, but otherwise affect any rights or claims, a person would have had if this Act had not been enacted. That clause in a very express manner does provide a highway for those who have been affected to continue to pursue relief through available means under the law. It is on this premise that I really want to rebuke Government for the ambivalent manner that it handled this whole saga. We have heard of attempts to investigate this matter. We have heard of a report that was produced from that process but the Government has been so slow to act on the recommendations of this report. Perhaps, this is appropriate forum or appropriate opportunity to challenge Government more to demonstrate its willingliness to deal with this matter decisively and take decisive action against the perpetrators of these very heinous economic crimes against the people of this country. If possible, this House should, perhaps, consider pushing Government to even consider compensating those that were worst affected. That would show acknowledgement by Government that really this happened while the Government slept on the job. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also important and I know this has already been mentioned here that it must belaboured nonetheless that this tendency by Kenyans to be fixated to get rich schemes must also be condemned. Honestly, if you are a right thinking person and you hear of a possibility someone tripling or even doubling your money in a matter of months, that kind of gullible---"
}