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{
    "id": 718480,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/718480/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 168,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Amolo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 631,
        "legal_name": "Rachel Ameso Amolo",
        "slug": "rachel-ameso-amolo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to oppose this Bill. As much as privatisation is a good thing, it is not in Kenya today. We have heard a number of institutions that have been mentioned here earlier on by my fellow Hon. Members. If privatisation is well managed it can bring profits. However, when it comes to sharing these profits, they cannot be shared without Members of Parliament knowing because they are the major representatives of people in this country. I do not see the importance of this Bill in this House today because it says that the role of Members of Parliament will not be required. On profits, they have never been shared. They have only been shared by few people who are well connected in the privatisation of these organisations. That is exactly what happened in Mumias Sugar Company and Kenya Airways which has a problem now. The problem is also the reappointment of members of the Commission who have been there forever. We have fresh blood that can come in and come up with more innovative ways to make more profits to be shared by Kenyans who own these organisations. The biggest asset in this country is land. Land belongs to the people of Kenya. Any other thing that is put on that land belongs to Kenyans who own that piece of land wherever it is. So, they have a right to take the largest share or part of the cake when it comes to privatisation of these organisations. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the other thing is political interference. If you look at the Memorandum of Objects and Reasons, you will find it talks about reappointment of serving members of Commission upon the expiry of their first term of office. I want to believe that this should come to Parliament. We should be the ones to re-appoint these people by looking at their records of performance. We should not be re-appointing people who have failed these organisations to an extent of them coming down. Telkom has also come down. There is no way you can re-appoint somebody who has brought down a whole institution. It is the responsibility of the National Assembly to vet members of the Commission. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is very important that Parliament should be involved when it comes to shareholders because we represent the people in the 47 counties in this country. It is crucial that Members of Parliament as the representatives of the Kenyan people are involved in privatisation. For now, I do not think this is the right Bill in the House because we need proper consultation. Hon. Members should be involved as they represent their people before any privatisation is done. . The few companies that have been privatised have let us down. We do not have any good example that we can copy so that we can move on with the issue of privatisation. So, I rise to oppose this Bill. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker."
}