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{
    "id": 841529,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/841529/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 445,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I listened to the Debate in the National Assembly – and it is not normally our habit to debate what goes on there – but if you listened, every Member who stood up to speak, when it was a Woman Representative, they were only talking about National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF). They were saying that if that fund was not touched, then it is okay. Members of constituencies were saying that if the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) was not touched, then it is okay. How then are we representing people if we are only concerned with what makes us comfortable? How are we going to survive without the NG-CDF or the NGAAF? What about mama mboga, who is now hit? For her to procure vegetables from Marikiti, she has to send money via M-Pesa, because pick-pockets are waiting when she arrives there. However, now, for every Kshs100 that she sends, she loses Kshs12. How are we going to survive? If this House and right-thinking Kenyans do not address these issues, we will then be abdicating our responsibility and duty. We may not vote on it, but we must voice on it; we must speak to it. There will come a time when we shall be asked: “What were you doing when this was happening? What did you do when this was happening?” Today, Madam Temporary Speaker, when I look back to the period 1980, 1984 and 1985 when we were young lawyers buying small cars, it would cost me Kshs400 in fuel to drive to Bungoma and back. I have a distinguished colleague from Kericho County who comes almost the same distance like me. However, today, you cannot drive to Kericho without pumping fuel of at least Kshs10,000 in your car for one way; and the same amount on your way back. By doing that, it means that even for public transport, the matatu operator must recover the cost of fuel. At the end of the day, every single tax that we impose, the shock goes to the consumer. Madam Temporary Speaker, if you tax the banks for money transfers, there is no bank that will use its money to pay for money transfer. They will pass it to you. When you wire money to your son in school for fees and upkeep, you are charged. When you wire money to import a small car, you will pay duty on the car; but when you wire money to Japan, you are charged. We are making life very difficult and our target is to be a middle income and eventually a developed country. There is not a single country in the world– like my dear nominated Sen. Farhiya will tell you –that can industrialise through taxation. There is no country that will develop to middle class through taxation. There is no country that will develop to become a Korea, a Malaysia, an Indonesia or a Singapore The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}