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{
    "id": 549042,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/549042/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 165,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Gathecha",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 652,
        "legal_name": "Annah Nyokabi Gathecha",
        "slug": "annah-nyokabi-gathecha"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Motion on the adoption of the Report of PIC. Despite the many challenges that the award of the contract to Zakhem International Construction Limited had, we know that we have a long way to go in the procurement processes. The benefits far outweigh the demerits in terms of reduced costs in transportation of oil, ensuring that we spur the economic activities in this country and spread the wealth so that Kenyans as a whole are able to take advantage of the lowered oil prices. Even as I support this Bill, it is important we start to set certain levels of control. We cannot allow people to set their own development standards. The same company installed that particular pipeline 37 years ago. Did they not know that there was maintenance that was supposed to take place? I know that it is not their responsibility. But it clearly shows that the management or those who have been put in place to take care of public assets and ensure that equity and justice is done to Kenyans have colluded and decided not to do what they are supposed to do. Instead of those that have been given positions ensuring that the whole country is able to receive fuel at a reduced price – and we know that global prices of oil have fallen - they are just there. When we take a closer look at the petrol stations within Kenya, there is true collusion to ensure that they continue gorging Kenyans. The excuse is that there is no capacity. We know the frustrations of those who do oil trading in this country. You can come in with a shipload of oil and because there are certain cartels that want to maintain their own space, they want to say that there is no capacity when we know that it is not true. All they want is the prices to go up and frustrate you to make sure that there is no competition. Those things have to come to an end in this country. There must be transparency. Those who have been put in those particular positions to ensure that service delivery to Kenyans happens must make sure that it happens. They must be held accountable. It is important that we break those oil cartels in this country, ensure fair competition, open up the space to allow indigenous Kenyans and not foreigners to come in and control our markets, even as we support this Motion. It is absolutely not acceptable in this day and age that we have 11 million unemployed youth in this country. We know the petroleum sector has the capacity to create a significant number of jobs in this country. However, if we continue to maintain the status quo instead of ensuring that equity is carried out in this country, those things will not happen. I support."
}