Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 414879,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/414879/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 279,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "Last year, 2013, in his address to this House, His Excellency the President stated that the 30 per cent must be provided. We have seen the Cabinet Secretary doing her best trying and struggling. Many of these procuring entities, if they get an excuse, are actually ignoring these provisions. We must put it in law so that it becomes an actual offence, if a procuring entity cannot justify why they have not given young people 30 per cent of procurement opportunities. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we need to provide as well a monitoring and regulatory framework to ensure that PPOA and the Cabinet Secretary of the relevant Ministry report to the relevant Committee of this House twice a year to tell us to what extent all these procuring entities have included and integrated young people. I know the issue of capacity will come up, but I think that is an excuse. We must, first of all, create those opportunities. Any good economist will tell you that in certain cases, supply creates its own demand and we must be able to get our young people into the economic life of this country. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we do know that there have been cases and there might be cases going forward of unscrupulous businessmen trying to take advantage of young people, by making them register companies and giving them token shares. Even if it is a majority, it is token because it amounts to nothing. We must criminalize because this will give the perception that the young are actually being engaged or that the young people are actually benefiting while they are not; which is even worse than not having created those opportunities for the young people. We know that you do not address the issues of young people by giving them money because that will not sort out the issues. You do not sort out the issues by telling young people to come together in groups of nine or 15 people. That cannot be the end, it is not sustainable. We must be able to secure and ring-fence these allocations of businesses to our young people in this country. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the jobs that our young people actually deserve may not necessarily all be found within the borders of this country. We must really raise them to a level where they can compete globally. We are moving to a global economy even by technology and information. Unless we actually, in an affirmative way, bring the young people to that level, we will really be doing the young people of this country disservice. This Bill, as I have stated, defines a number of officials. You will find that it still defines “local authority” because the mother Bill needs to be amended to that effect. I know there is a raft of amendments coming. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, as it is right now has been one of the greatest impediments to development in this country. We know that is why every year Ministries return so much money. There are a lot of bottlenecks and bureaucracy involved in public procurement. I know that more holistic and comprehensive amendments will be brought by the Government, but before they come, please, I want to urge this House, let us ring-fence and provide for our young people at least, 30 per cent procurement opportunities. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this Bill also wishes to state and provide that exclusive preference shall be given to citizens of Kenya, if the funding is 100 per cent from the Government of Kenya or a Kenyan body. We have seen far too many times the money that is raised by our taxpayers benefiting foreigners in this country, whereas the skills are in this country and the services can be provided by our young people in this The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}