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{
    "id": 523273,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/523273/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 106,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "competitive bidding, we have to make it mandatory for them to make sure that a certain percentage of all the international bids that we have are set aside for the people of Kenya. Clause 91 talks about the different methods of tendering and I am very interested in 91(c) on design competition. I am a bit surprised at what this Bill has done because design competitions are not easy things. In my life, I have had occasions to compete in design competitions. Design competitions are expensive and time consuming. They extract your intelligence and wisdom. These are not easy things. Again the question must be asked: Why does this Bill allude to other provisions that already exist in other statutes, yet when it comes to important provisions like those on design competitions it is silent? When you look at the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act, Chapter 525 of the Laws of Kenya, it is very clear how you can go about a design competition. The regulations in that Act clearly state the procedure for undertaking design competition. I just do not know why this Bill is short of giving the procedure, which already exists in law. Why are we again doing another procedure when a law already exists? This is because when you talk about design competition, you are looking mainly at it as it affects a profession. I will just give you an example. I happen to have been very much aware of how this Chamber, where we sit today, came about. I give absolute plaudits to my good friend, Architect James Kimathi from Meru County. All this work that you see here was done by a Kenyan. Everything that you see here--- This was a very rigorous design competition, where even samples were required to be brought from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). By the time the designs were presented here and adjudicated on under the able leadership of Senator Musila, I can assure you that all those people who competed had incurred huge expenses. Therefore, just to outline qualitative procedures on how to go about design competitions without in a way marching it with quantitative kind of guarantee--- I am aware that when this design competition was undertaken, the winning design was guaranteed Kshs500,000 just to try to recoup a bit of the expenses that went into going through the design competition. I am proud that it went that way. Recently, those of you who were watching international events saw what happened in a parliament of another fairly advanced country in Africa. It was possible for more than ten microphones to be on at the same time. That cannot happen here because that was assessed and clearly there was a panel that went through it. Everybody was explained to and that is why the chairman’s counsel has overriding facilities, so that you decide that at no time will any two delegates speak at the same time. This is because as per the lay out here, we are all called delegates. At no time will any two delegates be speaking at the same time. Therefore, just to enumerate qualitative aspects of such an important procedure without saying that this thing, which is so costly for people to undertake - You do not give any rewards to those who participate in it, I think that is an omission that we also need to correct. In any case, I have clearly said that the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act is clear on how you conduct design competition. Why do we come up with new procedures when procedures already exist in an Act of Parliament? I think we will have to borrow from it. 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."
}