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{
    "id": 813063,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/813063/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 62,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the more my distinguished colleague attempted to run away from what I said, the more he proved that that he is a tycoon. Employing 5,000 or 300 people is not a joke. How many Senators here employ even 20 people? You can see from my colleague’s body language that he is very excited that I called him a tycoon. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was talking about those who play in big leagues. In this country, on road construction, there are very few contractors who play in the league that we are seeing the Chinese playing; maybe my good friend Joseph Swartzman and H. Young, Kirinyaga Construction and a few others, not more than 10. The rest are struggling to grow. They will only grow if the Government gives them affirmative action and protection. In fact, if this Government is committed to growing local entrepreneurship. They should also have a fund which is not mentioned anywhere to help young, emerging entrepreneurs, to acquire equipment for road construction, so that they can compete. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have reached a situation where you go to a Ministry where they have put up tenders and the shortlisting of tenders to go to evaluation number one to seven are Chinese. Where are the rest of Kenyans? Some of these Chinese companies - probably not all of them - when they have these contracts, we find that 60 per cent of the labour is from China. This is totally unacceptable! This country has no shortage of engineers, crane drivers, shovel drivers, grader drivers or surveyors. However, everywhere there is a construction, you will see a Chinese holding equipment and directing somebody on the other end on what to do. We cannot allow this. We can only do this by law. The law that is being brought here is falling short of that. I want to see, even the authority we are setting up, because it will appropriate public funds, to have a fund where young emerging contractors can borrow from, so that they can also grow. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to urge that the manner in which roads are constructed is very expensive. I want us to have it in the law. I am sure Sen. (Eng.) Mahamud can agree with me on this that if you go to other jurisdictions like the USA and other places, almost all major infrastructure is undertaken by the national government then handed over to the counties and the states for maintenance. 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."
}