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{
    "id": 847343,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/847343/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 201,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, DP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Gitonga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13491,
        "legal_name": "George Gitonga Murugara",
        "slug": "george-gitonga-murugara"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the adoption of this Report that recommends that these regulations be annulled in their entirety. There is a lot that the Committee has observed as being irregular in these regulations. It is also important to point out that, to some extent, these regulations were sneaked into force. They were actually in operation until the Committee met and is now presenting a Report to have them annulled. There are interesting provisions which have been pointed out, and which are clearly offensive to the wellbeing of the people of Kenya. Driving schools are business enterprises like any other and, as such, they should not be prohibited from conducting their business in an atmosphere that is conducive. To impose regulations which cannot be complied with, or regulations that are punitive in nature, is actually to punish the business community. Let me speak on only one issue. There is a schedule attached to these regulations, which relates to motorcyclists, popularly known as boda boda riders. It is good to speak for these people because they insist all the time that when we debate matters in Parliament, we always overlook them because we feel that they are lowly placed in society. There is a provision that a motorcyclist should, first, get a licence for one year, in which case he cannot carry a pillion passenger. It is after one receives a second licence after the second year that one is allowed to carry a passenger. Out there, we do have boda boda operators. They are very qualified persons who ride motorcycles and carry passengers in spite of the fact that some of them may not be having licences. That is not allowed by the law but because they operate in rural areas, where modes of transport are highly limited, they are able to operate. It is the desire of Members of Parliament to ensure that those citizens comply with the law. They should be provided with riding licences, after which they can carry pillion passengers. With these regulations, this would not be possible. That is one of the reasons that drove the Committee to say, “With such regulations, we are inhibiting our citizens from doing what they can do.” We, today, pray that these regulations be annulled. They should be thrown back to the regulation making authority. We can go back to where we used to be; where once you can get your riding licence, you carry a pillion passenger. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}