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{
    "id": 893214,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/893214/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 380,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Bumula, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Mwambu Mabongah",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13309,
        "legal_name": "Moses Wekesa Mwambu Mabonga",
        "slug": "moses-wekesa-mwambu-mabonga-2"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I have spent time listening to some of the memoranda that were submitted before the Committee. Something notable here is about the towers. This House must take note of this because we have made very clear recommendations over the same. We realise that all the towers that belonged to Telkom, which happens to be a Government parastatal, were sold to an American company. Talking of security issues, it is worth noting that they just surrendered themselves to a super power. So, they can easily get access to a lot of our information. From the submissions, you realise that my colleagues have just alluded to it. We need to give more powers and, if possible, amend both the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998 and the Competition Act, 2010. We need to empower CAK to have more powers to regulate and determine the market competition in the telecommunication sector. Some of the telecommunication providers appeared before the Committee and we realised that they are charging high interest rates when it comes to the short message services and money transfers. They have no clear justification for charging those high rates! It is for that reason that we have come up with these recommendations for the House to pass and ensure that they are adhered to. Another thing is that the towers are not evenly distributed and because of that, we have dominance by one mobile service provider. It is known in this country and they have a tendency of frustrating newcomers in the market. That is why we are recommending that we have regular submissions from the CAK. We need feedback on market trends and how new entrants can join the market. The interest is to protect the consumer. When we talk of communication at the moment, we are actually talking of the most basic thing used by a watchman or even a small boy at home. If we do not protect the consumers, most Kenyans are going to suffer."
}