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{
    "id": 721862,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/721862/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 63,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Gikaria",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2489,
        "legal_name": "David Gikaria",
        "slug": "david-gikaria"
    },
    "content": "On the proposed amendments to the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, the other day, we were debating a substantive Bill by Hon. Jakoyo Midiwo regarding this matter. We now have some amendments proposed here in the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. They ought to have been incorporated and introduced together with the other proposed amendments in Hon. Jakoyo’s Bill. When Jakoyo moved his Bill, there were some issues that needed to be--- I am a little bit perturbed by the gaming machines. That is because of the way the amendment is framed. It states that any person who uses or permits the use of unauthorized gaming machines--- It goes ahead to stipulate the offences. For example, for the offence of allowing the use of unauthorized machines, a fine of Kshs5,000 is imposed or imprisonment not exceeding six months. That is too low a punishment. These are issues we are going to propose amendments to during the Committee of the whole House. We will be proposing that the penalty be increased. If you look at the fine imposed for gaming in public places, it is only Kshs3,000 or a prison term not exceeding three months. This is an offence we need to prescribe punitive penalties in order to stop the operation of those illegal machines. Those machines, as we are talking now, are almost everywhere. They are not only in buildings, but they are now finding way in the corridors of some shops. This is affecting our children. Whenever you give your children money to purchase some items for the house, they first place the money in a gaming machine. Indeed, this is a problem as Hon. Millie Odhiambo has put it. School children who are given school fees use it in gaming and betting. So, it is important for us to merge this Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill with the substantive Bill that has been introduced by Hon. Jakoyo. Regarding the training of clinical officers, this morning, we had a Private Member’s Bill that was touching on it. These particular amendments are meant to align that law to the provisions of the Constitution. In the morning, we had an opportunity to hear drastic suggestions; some of which proposed that clinical officers should be licensed to operate privately. These are some of the issues we should have merged. This one is just for alignment with the Constitution. It is the same thing the Member was trying to address in the morning. He was trying to align the current Act with the Constitution. Maybe, there will be a lot of duplication. Regarding the Copyrights Act, it is true that our performing artists spend a lot of their time in college to get trained in order to perform their art. However, you find some people using their hard-earned fruits to earn a living without compensating the artists. Therefore, an amendment requiring a structured compensation mechanism for performing artists is acceptable."
}