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{
    "id": 833516,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/833516/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 135,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "back, especially if the petitioner(s) have been represented by a colleague in the House. I have also seen this report for the first time. I would like to agree with the Senate Majority Leader that we need to look at our rules and find a way through which we give life to the responses to petitions, so that they do not go and find themselves in a certain shelf. There should be an implementation mechanism. There should also be a manner maybe through a Motion that we can debate it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, very quickly, I would like to bring to the Committee’s attention that in as much as they dealt with this in less than 60 days, the traders and importers in Nairobi are still going through a lot of hard times. This market has, first of all, been infiltrated by Chinese. I will say it, although I am not supposed to mention adversely a friendly country without a substantive Motion. However, they are even competing with our hawkers. They have godowns, which open at 3.00 a.m. They have front people to provide goods at lower prices. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the fight against counterfeit goods is not a fight against our people, but a fight against goods that can harm the environment and health of our people. However, we find these anti-counterfeit officers confiscating goods and selling them in shops just down the road from these traders. This has to stop. I am glad that even yesterday, the President noted and was even too embarrassed to read his speech because the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector or the small traders and business people just because they may not be wearing suits and ties and do not come to the table like KEPSA and Kenya Association of Manufacturers, are ignored despite the fact that they produce close to 80 per cent of the GDP. We need to treat them better, provide better subsidies for what they produce and make sure that we implement a buy Kenya policy to ensure that even these people who are manufacturing in their own rights benefits. Manufacturers are not just the big people in Industrial Area. Some of the best furniture we can get is along Gikomba or Ngong Road. We need to find a way in which to build these people. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we look at some of the things they proposed; I am glad the that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) together with the Deputy Head of Public Service, Mr. Wanyama Musiambo accompanied me to Nyamakima where we sat down with these traders. I am glad that we have shown that Government can come down to them. We need to see more work done and I will be bringing a substantive Motion as Senator of Nairobi to deal with this issue. Many are affected down the line throughout the supply chain; from the importers, people working in Port of Mombasa and the entire chain of this business. We need to make sure that we put our money where our mouth is. Since the Government is not in business, it should stop auctioning goods not collected at the port because of issues of demurrage cost and selling them to the same cartels who are frustrating small traders at the Port of Mombasa and in Nairobi. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those many remarks, I am grateful. I will look through these recommendations. With the leave of the House, I will seek to bring a Motion and even maybe a substantive legislative proposal to be considered by this august House."
}