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{
    "id": 541816,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/541816/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 88,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kubai Iringo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1574,
        "legal_name": "Cyprian Kubai Iringo",
        "slug": "cyprian-kubai-iringo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the Motion on the Special Report of PIC. As I said in the morning, the idea of re-capitalization and privatization of Telkom Kenya Limited was reached at a Cabinet meeting. The Cabinet had agreed on it. The telecommunications industry in Kenya had been overtaken by events because the fixed lines had become obsolete. Modern technology had brought in the mobile lines which everyone had, and the competition became too much. At the end of the day, there was an investment which the Government had put in and it was serving the whole nation. Once the idea was muted to have it re-structured and privatized, care had to be taken seriously. That is because when such enterprises come up for privatization, sale and receivership, there are many forces and factors which come into play. Some people come in with an intention of trying to poach into that particular investment. In this particular one, I agree with the Committee but caution must be taken. Who is going to do this and for what purpose? In which direction will it be moving? At the end of the day, caution should be taken so that some people are not victimized. That particular industry has been vandalized, destroyed and people have taken a lot of money from it. The Government has been losing a lot of money through it, but nobody has been prosecuted. Most of the culprits are out there. There are those who have been trying to bring it back on its feet, but it is still not working. We have to be very careful. Those who have stolen from that industry have messed it up, despite being overtaken by events and technological changes. They should answer for what they did. Let us know who has started what and how far they have reached in the process of destroying this industry. Those who want to have it privatized should get the right people and investors. Let us not put public funds into an enterprise where the taxpayers are not going to get their rightful share. There have been disruptions. However, whatever is remaining has to be salvaged in a serious and prudent way, without letting anything else slip out of the fingers of the people who are doing it. At the end of the day, let us not victimize individuals or punish those who have been trying to save the industry and yet, those who destroyed it are developing out there with the benefits that they reaped from that public enterprise. 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."
}