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{
"id": 59622,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/59622/?format=api",
"text_counter": 315,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kabando Wa Kabando",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 31,
"legal_name": "Kabando wa Kabando",
"slug": "kabando-kabando"
},
"content": "We decry many things in this country; the disadvantages we have and what we do not have. But this is the country that enjoys, perhaps, the singular most dominating intellectual capital across the globe, in European and American universities. M-PESA is a Kenya initiative. It has not happened in America. We did not borrow it from America neither did we borrow it from Europe. It is an indigenous phenomenon that is actually captivating academic researchers from science universities. This is a Kenyan generated benefit. We also dominate in sports and other areas. As I listened to the Presidentâs Speech, I anticipated that there will be a mention about the Tourism Bill. We have the wild beast migration in Kenya, songs of birds in Kakamega, breeze on aberdare ranges, gapes of Menengai Crater and treks of tourists from across the world to Kenya. This is a very heavy testament of how endowed our country is. We have a lot of benefits. As we pass these Bills which were mentioned by His Excellency the President in his very superb address in the Special Session of this House, we also anticipate that the Tourism Bill will be introduced and passed. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also expect the Sports Bill, which has been unanimously endorsed by the Cabinet and which has interrogated a lot of stakeholders. I want to thank Eng. Gumbo for his clear and consistent focus and support to my Ministryâs programmes, particularly on the change of the sports management in the federation and sports associations. These are issues that will bring benefits, so that we can support the retirees who are achieving for Kenya and, so that we can rein on rogue federations and tame the exploitation by some cartels and even families that appropriate sports societies and federations and only appear when they are seeking to be given air tickets and allowances to go and present. We give them the national flag. These are national investments. Standing here and having worked in the tourism sector before joining this House for a number of years and initiated programmes for the National Tourism Bill fora, I know that the passage of the Tourism Bill and the Sports Bill will be a milestone. It will herald a new Kenya. We have now witnessed some silence from the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) and my fear is that because the Members of Parliament started threatening that they were going to tackle Dr. Patrick Lumumba he is perhaps, fearing for his job. It is time, and I am happy the President also enumerated this, that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Bill is passed in this House, so that we can deal with the question of recruitments in that Commission. It should be done in the most transparent, open and competitive manner, so that individuals who become directors are not held hostage by caucuses that as I have said before, have turned into caucuses which deal with networking and side shows and, therefore, keeping at hostage and captive some of the individuals who should be doing their work. Dr. Lumumba needs to wake up again. He is quiet. Some Kenyans are saying in the street that he is now not any more the orator turning to the slayer of a dragon because he fears that, perhaps, when we are considering this legislation, his job will be on the mark. We need courage, constituency and clarity. The innovation to tackle the old order must come from individuals who must also risk their careers. Finally, there have been issues raised here about the youth and it is true there are some entitlements. I am happy hon. Wamalwa talked about the 30 per cent in public procurement. I want to urge the Members of Parliament, who are patrons of their Constituencies Development Committees (CDF) to ensure that a minimum of 10 per cent of the procurement, as per the existing Presidential directive, is an entitlement to the youth. That is possible. I am doing it and you can check Mukurwe-ini.net, my constituency website. You can say that any company appropriated by the youth will be given priority and precedence over any other company seeking to do CDF projects. That is where we need to go awaiting the passage of that law. We also should hear more from the President and the Prime Minister when making appointments in Government offices where they have discretion of young individuals. When we were passing the Committee on Revenue Allocation, I thought one David Ndei, who is one of the most brilliant economists in this country, would be considered by some sections of the political lobbying classes. But our problem is loyalties. Even as we address the questions of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other issues, there are issues of ethnic and tribal loyalties. I am happy today to hear hon. ole Ntimama and hon. Gumo talking of the lofty ideals of democracy. I said: Good Constitution; the new dawn in Kenya if the likes of ole Ntimama and hon. Gumo of kaa ngumu fame are now speaking this language so eloquently and loudly. Truly, the birth of a new Republic is a reality. The old order is being crushed by the existing realities. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has individuals who have done some work. We applaud what they have done. However, we also know that they have been playing politics. I stand here as one of the individuals who have been listed in their reports despite the work we did to promote peace in 2008. Therefore, the formation of the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission as enumerated by His Excellency the President is long overdue, so that petty politics of loyalties and partisanship can be smashed at the altar of competitive and democratic order. With those remarks, I strongly support the Speech by the President."
}