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{
    "id": 384108,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/384108/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 115,
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    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "The bottom line of the last limb of the Motion is that we will be committing not a county government’s funds, but all county government’s budgets to ensure that we help private companies. Safaricom is, indeed, one of the most lucrative, profitable and successful blue chip companies in East and Central Africa. Every year, they declare profits in terms of billions. How can you not take this opportunity or use it and apply the provisions of the Act which have been ably referred to by the distinguished Senator for Vihiga? Why can we not use this opportunity to make sure that the original spirit of that law is applied? The issue of the levy exists in the sugar industry where we have the Sugar Development Levy. When this was put up many years ago, the Government was conscious of the fact that we needed to urge millers to participate in the development of cane so that more acreage would be under cane for the companies to continue growing. It is my humble submission on this very important matter that we urge the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) to make sure that the super profits made by the blue chip companies that participate in mobile telephony are ploughed back into the system for the purpose of expansion. I want to bring to the attention of Senators the history of Telkom in this country. When Telkom Kenya was privatized, hon. Wetangula will remind me. Was it in 2009? When Telkom Kenya was privatized in 2009, the privatization was accompanied by a lot of excitement and optimism. In fact, because of that optimism, we laid off poor employees of Telkom in their thousands. The excitement was that the French Telkom was coming on board and we would start making super profits. Believe it or not, today, as we speak, French Telkom which led to the laying off of employees of Telkom enmass is today approaching the Government to sink in further funds in its own troubled venture. Do we want a company with such an experience? Do we want to ask the taxpayers to sink in more funds? The distinguished Senator, the Senate Leader of Majority has referred to some economics. Let me now draw your attention to something which I think you know. What is the international experience about asking the public sector to sink in a lot of funds in private ventures? The best experience was just before the US went to a General Election. President Obama moved hundreds of millions of dollars into private enterprises. This became a major issue almost to the point of the President being visited with a scandal."
}