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{
    "id": 576065,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/576065/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Muhia",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 968,
        "legal_name": "Wanjiku Muhia",
        "slug": "wanjiku-muhia"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. Indeed, this is a very good Bill which I would like to support because it is a flagship of Vision 2030. If it is implemented, it can be Vision 2020 or earlier. This is one way of creating jobs which will bring financial freedom to this country. I foresee a country whose political arena will dramatically change. People with financial freedom are independent in their thinking. With regard to job creation, people will be engaged. They will no longer be idle or wait for politicians to speak with them and give them kitu kidogo for them to elect politicians. This means the political establishment will be accountable to the people. This will be possible because people will be in a position to critically examine the performance of their leaders given that they do not rely on the leaders for financial freedom. An enabling environment for entrepreneurship is very important for a country which is looking forward to a double-digit economic growth. This will in turn improve the lives and livelihoods of our people and their lifespans will increase. We are also aware that healthcare is sometimes an issue of poor economic status. As a result of an enabling entrepreneurial environment, people will have good living standards which will improve their lifespan. As a Member of the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security, I am very keen to always note that security challenges can be properly tackled if we engage our youth productively. We all know that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Today I watched the proceedings of a meeting which has been going on this week and the people who are strategising on how to curb radicalisation are talking about one website called ‘ISIS’. It is already known that most youth, particularly university students, are visiting this site almost 75 per cent of their time. I would like to see a scenario in which more entrepreneurial activities are available to the youth so that they can be visiting entrepreneurial sites more than 75 per cent of their time as they expose their minds to business opportunities and knowledge acquisition. This will help us properly deal with the security challenges, especially the radicalisation of our youth. Today, we have very many funds. We have the Women Enterprise Fund, Uwezo Fund and cash transfers. Most banks are also funding women and youth. These funds do not contribute to their equivalents in terms of impact. Once a bank reports the amount of credit it has lent to the people, we cannot see the economic impact of the same. With these economic zones, these funds will contribute to economic development because people will be trained on entrepreneurship. Those who will be engaged in export business will create more employment opportunities. I also foresee an income avenue for the Government because of the revenue from these zones. Even those who have been doing business and evading paying tax will be exposed hence the Government will have more funds for infrastructural development. Once this Bill is passed, I expect it to give hope to the youth of this nation. Though one of my colleagues asked why women and youth and not men are always considered for affirmative action, it is because cultural ideologies and beliefs have marginalised these groups. So, this is one way through which they will improve their standards of living. 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."
}