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"id": 45495,
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"speaker_name": "Eng. Gumbo",
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"legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on Part I, First Schedule, bodies that are to nominate are stated there. There is the Architectural Association of Kenya, the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, the Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya and Law Society of Kenya (LSK). I have no problem with the first three bodies, but I have a problem with LSK. We were debating the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution in Kenya and a prominent lawyer, who is also a Member of Parliament, when I suggested that engineers should be part of the Commissioners, told me that engineers should concentrate on bending steel and pulling wires. I am also asking that in this case, this is work for people who bend steel and pull wires. Instead of LSK, I will be proposing that an amendment be made so that the body charged with regulating professionals in Kenya, the Association of Consulting Engineers, is allowed to nominate a person to that Authority. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Part 1 of the Second Schedule says:- âThe Board shall meet at least four times in every financial year and not more than two months shall elapse between the date of one meeting and the date of the next meetingâ That is vague and contradictory. If the Board shall meet at least four times in a year, that is every three months in my understanding. However, when you say, ânot more than any two months should passâ, you are making it six meetings. I think we will look at this and reconcile the provision. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, I believe that the construction industry is one of the biggest employers of indigenous Kenyans in this country. That is a fact. If you go to any construction site, the people you find working there are Kenyans. This Bill must deliberately put construction in the hands of Kenyans. It must concern us that as I speak today of the road contractors in this country, you can hardly find three notable contractors who can do more than 200 kilometers of road without problems. It must concern us that when we do projects whose value is in excess of Kshs3 billion, they are out of reach of most Kenyans. It must concern us that most of the major public works in this country are done by foreigners. I have no problem; we are in a collaborative society. We are in a borderless society, but Kenya is, first and foremost, for the people of Kenya. Many times we are told the problem is about capacity. It is our duty, as the representatives of the people of Kenya, to give fellow Kenyans the capacity to do this work. How are we going to give Kenyans capacity when most of the available work is in the hands of foreigners? It happens in every country. All the big projects--- Even if you go to some of the most established countries, even if a foreign firm is undertaking a project, it does so in collaboration with the local people. Therefore, some of the amendments I will be proposing will make it mandatory for any foreign firm which, or anybody who, carries out construction work in Kenya to deliberately take steps to incorporate Kenyans and give them capacity Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is very embarrassing. I have no problem with the Chinese. The other day, I was taking my children to school and outside the schools was an old Chinese, who was over 65 years of age, sitting there, smoking and counting Kenyans like goats. Honestly, is this what we want for our country? We must move to give capacity to our people. We must move to make Kenyans reap the maximum benefits from all the construction work that goes on in this country. With those remarks and the amendments to come, I beg to support."
}