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{
    "id": 576053,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/576053/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 191,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "In his writings, Julius Nyerere observed that sometimes when you concentrate the economy at the centre and you leave the periphery, it is disastrous in terms of economic growth. This is because you actually strive for the growth of other sections of the country and if anything was to go wrong at the centre, then it would affect the whole economy. It has been witnessed that when there is a lockdown in the country, there is no business in Nairobi, then it means there is no business in other parts of the country. In fact, the official statistics put it that 67 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is within the greater Nairobi area. Therefore, these special economic zones would serve to diversify populations in terms of going to look for work elsewhere. It will also help in terms of reducing land prices and this is because people can go elsewhere and still get as much land in a more lucrative manner that would have quick return of investment at a higher percentage. The other issue that comes out of this Bill is the manner in which goods and services are supposed to be manufactured. The Mover of the Bill has been very keen to provide for rights of the special economic zone and the special economic enterprises. This is very commendable. But we need to be careful so that they are not abused to oppress workers because of the availability of cheap labour in this country. In fact, as a country, we are continuously churning out young people with managerial and clerical skills rather than what the economy is demanding. In terms of middle level technical jobs that would push our country to a middle income economy through the upper middle income economy according to the Kenya Vision 2030. With the requirement in this Bill, any good exported from those special economic zones shall be construed as having been exported from Kenya. That any good or service that would be supplied from any of the member custom union would be seen as goods that have been imported to Kenya. This encourages regional integration, cooperation and it will leverage on the markets that are available within the East African Community. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the other issue that also comes out very clearly in this Bill is the fact that any good that is manufactured out of the country is going to be labeled as having come from that different country and it will help us in terms of tracking the manufacturing potential and percentile in our country. There are very many youth innovations in this country, but there is a very big challenge in terms of the commercialisation and prototyping of those goods and services. I would want to imagine that this Bill would accrue benefits to the young innovators under the age of 35. They will be assisted to come up with products and processes that would not only improve our national total factor productivity, but also solve the various problems that affect communities at the grass root levels. I would also want to imagine that with these special economic zones, we are going to witness a greater growth in the tax base and revenue collection. Our Budget is increasing at a very high rate and we must seek new areas where we can tap taxes, so that we can finance the fiscal characteristics within---"
}