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{
    "id": 511649,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/511649/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 11,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Hassan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 431,
        "legal_name": "Hassan Omar Hassan Sarai",
        "slug": "hassan-omar-hassan-sarai"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for this opportunity. I am aware that the petitioners, at some point came before the two Standing Committees of the Senate; the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Standing Committee on Broadcasting. I have listened to some of the issues in the petition and there is a general sense in which that fair competition talked about in the petition tends to give a certain advantage to foreign investors over local ones. We know that this country where a local investor is able to invest over and above any foreign investor, then like any every other country that has decorum and respect for its citizens, first priority should go to the local investor. One of the things that have been crowded in a lot of secrecy is the local ownership of Pan African Network Group (PANG) which is a foreign outfit that runs the Star Times. Therefore, I want a clarification whether we can establish with finality who are the investors behind PANG so that the freedom of information under Article 34 is adhered to. Kenyans have a right to have information that affects public interest. Mr. Speaker, Sir, by way of clarity, it would be important to understand the status; I believe that the petitioners are back on air and I am not sure under what arrangement. It would be important by way of clarity to that report or to whatever outcome the Senate decides to recommend, to know under what arrangement the petitioners are back on air because at that point they came, they were off air. It would be important to know whether by virtue of them being back on air, this particular petition has been frustrated by passage of time or certain developments in the arena of the matters alluded to in the petition. Therefore, it would be important to write to the petitioners to expound further on the circumstances upon which they are back on air and whether being back on air would have any adverse impact on any recommendations that this Senate might make. Otherwise, it would be a petition in futility because the status quo has been maintained or certain arrangements or agreements have been entered into. Mr. Speaker, Sir, lastly, when the petitioners came to our Committee, they said that the President had instituted some kind of proceedings to ensure that the two parties are able to amicably resolve these matters. It would be important to know what progress was made in that particular area. I remember the Chairman of the Nation Media Group (NMG) raised the flag that they were going to meet the President and his team with a view of getting a solution to the matter. We want to know what kind of progress was made so that this Senate does not embark on processes that have either been finalized, actualized or interventions made so that we are able to move expeditiously in a manner that is not defeatist to the processes internally."
}