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{
    "id": 393796,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/393796/?format=api",
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    "content": "is a great shame, because at that time, we employed over 42,000 Kenyans who were working in these textile mills. Today, you find that hardly more than 500 people are working in the textile industry. It shows that milling facilities in this country have been reduced, merely because of corruption in Kenya. It does not have to be belaboured in this House; we know what happened to the Cotton Board. We know how money was embezzled until that board was brought to the ground. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, unless we change our habits and attitudes in this country and deal with the disease of corruption, we will never have a vibrant cotton and textile industry. We know that as a result of this, a vacuum was left in this country. What happened? There was a great influx of second hand products into this country. Many people, including hon. Members, are wearers of these clothes. Nobody would say that they have never worn or bought second hand clothes. Before we say that we will do away with second hand clothes, the so-called mitumba, we must have an industry that is vibrant. If you go out into the streets now, you will hear great songs being sung. You will hear: “ Watu wang’are, watu wang’are,” in other words, “let the people shine.” Why is this so? It is because second hand clothes are very cheap in this country. You can buy socks for 50 cents. Because of this, we cannot just say that we should do away with this industry, which is now giving many jobs to our people. It is now the bread and butter in many households in this country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as I support this Motion, I wish that the Mover could give us a stop-gap measure, because neither will we have these factories overnight nor do away with the second-hand clothes that are in this country, because we know what they are doing to our people, especially in the rural areas. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}