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{
    "id": 416652,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/416652/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 36,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this proposal with amendments because even as we are discussing the principles of this amendment Bill, it is clear that Government policy speaks to youth, women and persons with disabilities. Therefore, if persons with disabilities in particular are left out of this amendment, then it follows that there will be a conflict between the regulations and the substantive Act. Hon. Deputy Speaker, in South Africa this practice has been done before, preferential procurement through the broad based economic empowerment programme, but the experience there has been that the previously disadvantaged groups especially black people, women and persons with disabilities have been used as fronts to something that has been now famously called tenderpreneurship where people go and win tenders but the actual people who are behind it are actually the big fish. In fact, there are times when those who are tendering may sponsor their daughters and wives to actually front for this same business. Hon. Deputy Speaker, there is therefore need to ensure that even as we make these amendments, it should be a process. If you look at the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act, 2010, it is really a process law. It is not an outcome based law and I am afraid that based on how our Government functions and procurement functions the youth, the women and persons with disabilities maybe knocked out of technicalities that are conveniently introduced sometimes even through withholding of information so that some other people can qualify. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I think there is also another challenge to implementation of this law with regard to the percentile that may be accumulating over a given period of time. Why do I say so? This is because procurement does not happen at ago. It happens over the financial year and I think there is need to ensure that accumulatively we attain these thresholds, otherwise I see ministries, departments and agencies not being able to comply because obvouisly then it requires to be seen. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the other point I also want to pass across is that we do not want to see a situation where youth, women and persons with disabilities are only given the small time jobs – jobs that do not have money; jobs that take long to pay. I think we must ensure that this procurement is also assigned to the big money. I must commend this policy because it is a redistributive policy. However, there is also the issue of corruption 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."
}