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{
    "id": 541707,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/541707/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 525,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kangara",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12543,
        "legal_name": "Benson Mutura Kangara",
        "slug": "benson-mutura-kangara"
    },
    "content": "allegations are so grave. It was outright theft. By now there should be people answering for these things. It is high time that the Government checked on this issue of privatisation. Looking at the requirements in tenders, you find that the bid documents are projected in such a way that only foreign companies can bid for tenders. Take this case of Telkom Kenya and that of the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC). These are two privatisations attempts that have gone haywire. We have to have the courage and confidence to address these issues. These documents should be prepared in such a way that even local companies can bid for the tenders. On the issue of employees, Kenyans have suffered. When most of these entities change hands, employees’ pensions and benefits are not even captured in the transactions. Even the way they normally change the directorship and bring in foreign entities is suspect. Kenyan employees are especially vulnerable. Some of them have diligently worked for those institutions for years, hoping that when their days to retire come, they would live decent and comfortable lives. When the change of ownership is effected, they realise that nothing has been mentioned about their welfare. They have nowhere to go for redress. The contracts were done in such a way that the employees were not catered for. We have the Insolvency Bill which will be coming very soon. Hopefully, the input of employees, who are also key partners in privatisation, will be considered. They should not be taken as if they are third parties. They should be key stakeholders in whatever we do. Compare this case with the KRC, which was also privatised. A lot of my people are members of the Kenya Railway Staff Benefits Scheme (KRSBS). They are really miserable. They have nowhere to go. They wasted all their time working for the corporation. However, by a stroke of a pen, things changed. They were not considered. They were even considered redundant, which was worse. They left the institution with nothing at all. On the issue of property, it is known in this country that most people who are now liquid and moving around, are associated in one way or another with the assets of KRC and Telkom Kenya. It is a known fact. We need to be serious."
}