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{
    "id": 671797,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/671797/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 307,
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    "content": "So, as we look at the principle of why we are amending this Bill, the Ministry should also be informed because as much as we do this, if the Ministry does not have that will of ensuring these are traders like any other, we will go nowhere. When the officers of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) go to meet the President, they should make sure that small entrepreneurs are part of those who will accompany them because they are the ones who do business but not the leaders and the chairmen. Entrepreneurs should go and tell the President how they feel and the challenges they face while carrying out their small businesses. The KNCCI is structured in a way that it appears to cater for only those who have businesses worth billions of shillings. However, who makes Kenya survive? Just the way the middle class makes the economy run, small-scale entrepreneurs are the ones who flourish our industries and the economy in this country. Going forward, I hope that we will give them a better opportunity to show what is supposed to be done; a better opportunity to go and showcase not just the kiondos but also other things because we have very good entrepreneurs and innovators in this country. The only problem is that because they are not under the KNCCI, you will find that they will never get anywhere and especially women. Women are the ones who run small-scale businesses. They are the fishmongers and vendors but when it comes to those who can sit and dine with the “who is who” of this country and in engaging in bilateral business talks, they are nowhere to be seen. That has been the trend even during the regimes of former presidents of this country. I have not seen more women than men engaged in such ventures, yet women are the ones who run this country by engaging in small-scale businesses. When you go to Gikomba Market, you will find women and when it comes to selling njugu, it is women but the men are the beneficiaries of that. We need to see women engage in harvesting sand because it is also a business. We also need to see women engage in the transport sector or the so-called boda boda sector in order to benefit. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Senator for Kiambu very much because as a Government, we have ignored the sector of micro and small entrepreneurs for long yet we have Uwezo Fund and the Women Fund. People who benefit from these funds are the same people who conduct businesses of fish mongering, vending and all those small-scale businesses. I want to appeal to my President that after the election of officials of the KNCCI, the chairman should meet small-scale entrepreneurs and select people who will be part of the team that will talk to the President. Let them have their own spokesperson who will say what they are going through. I know they are having many challenges with the county governments and you will find them being overtaxed. Right now, when you go to Malindi, you will find boda boda operators there are suffering and the same applies to those in Nairobi. I sought a statement here to see how we can help them and ensure that they also do business. We are collecting very much revenue from the small-scale entrepreneurs but we have given them very little benefits in return to what they are doing for our country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I finalise, it will also be important to ensure that the necessary infrastructure to support small-scale entrepreneurs is put in place within counties. Counties conduct investment programmes all over, which is good for building The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}