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{
    "id": 949330,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/949330/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 123,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Hargura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 827,
        "legal_name": "Godana Hargura",
        "slug": "godana-hargura"
    },
    "content": "It is necessary for us to take care of the street vendors by providing them with very conducive environments where they have basic infrastructure like sanitation, waste disposal, water, security and lighting system so that they can also conduct their businesses in an organized manner. This Bill envisages that the street vendors will be allowed to unionize themselves and have Savings and Credit Co-Operative (SACCO) societies where they can save and borrow money to improve their businesses. Madam Temporary Speaker, the counties have to deliberately plan for this important group of business people by re-planning their urban areas so that in case there was no prior vision of this kind of a requirement, they can acquire private land through compulsory acquisition and set up operating areas for the vendors. That way, the street vendors will graduate to established business people who will develop and contribute to the economy of a county. We have been insisting that counties have to generate their own revenue and it is included in the sharable revenue formula where we have fiscal responsibilities. These are some of the areas that the counties are targeting to generate their own revenue. If the counties do not provide an enabling environment, it will be counterproductive because the counties will be unable to generate target revenue and will be penalized. Counties have to provide an enabling environment for them to get revenue. Madam Temporary Speaker, I have an issue with the proposal made in this Bill for county governments to be over sighted by the national Government. I do not know what the drafter had in mind when he came up with the unit to which the county governments will be reporting giving the registers of their vendors. I wonder what they will do with that register. We already have the Registrar of Companies and the Registrar of Societies. I have never heard of either of them submitting their lists to a particular unit within the national Government. What is the purpose of having the proposed unit and why do the county governments have to submit the list of their vendors? The vendors need to be managed at the county level. I, therefore, urge the sponsor of this Bill to amend that Clause. The county governments may even go to court because of this clause to question why they are being subjected to oversight by the national Government. If a good legislation like this one ends up in court, it may take forever to be resolved. Such a good Bill may be held captive in our slow judicial system because of a clause that subjects the county governments to oversight by the national Government. Considering everything, this Bill is well structured. It clearly states the process of registering and licencing street vendors. It also gives the county governments freedom to domesticate it. This Bill gives the county assemblies, which will be the arm of the county governments doing the legislation, freedom to come up with a particular legislation which is specific to their counties. However, some clauses of this Bill need to be changed such as where it is stated that the ‘County Executive Committee (CEC) member 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."
}