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{
    "id": 708619,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/708619/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 36,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Deputy Speaker, I wish to thank the presenters of this Petition, especially coming so soon after almost a similar petition on violation of labour laws and other laws, particularly obligations of corporate entities with regard to tax payment by the East African Breweries Limited. As Members of Parliament, it will amount to dereliction of our duty if our people petition us in vain. The National Assembly addresses matters that are of concern to all Kenyans, irrespective of the constituencies they come from. As you commit this Petition to the Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, I urge that this House must be at the forefront in instituting those measures that will ensure that the dignity of Kenyans is preserved. You will recall, for example, that one of the silent abuses that go on in our country is where foreigners and expatriates take up jobs which should be done by the people of Kenya. I admit that as a country, we cannot exist in a vacuum and we are part of the global community. The laws governing what work foreigners can do in this country are very clear. We are abusing those laws. Hon. Deputy Speaker, even as we look at these petitions particularly the ones that relate to abuse of Kenyans by foreigners, I am a believer - and you and I are well travelled - that one of the requirements that anybody who comes to work in this country as a foreigner must comply with is to respect the people of Kenya. That is an irreducible minimum. You have gone to many countries and when you go to those countries, the people there have to be respected. We are seeing widespread abuses of our people by foreigners. We are not in any way trying to suggest that we do not want other people to come and work in our country. Kenya too has very many people who work in other countries. What we are saying is that anybody, particularly foreigners who come to work here, must recognise that the dignity of the people of Kenya must be upheld. One of the ways of ensuring that that dignity is upheld is by paying our people a living wage. Many of our people who work in these companies are doing no more than servitude and it is unacceptable. I would encourage the Committee to look into this matter and ensure that anyone who comes to work here, whether it is a local company or a company that has its origin in another country, upholds the dignity of the people of Kenya and they are paid a living wage."
}