HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 954992,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/954992/?format=api",
"text_counter": 176,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kipkelion East, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Joseph Limo",
"speaker": {
"id": 1915,
"legal_name": "Joseph Kirui Limo",
"slug": "joseph-kirui-limo"
},
"content": "dates when we would be sitting. We had stakeholder consultations at the KICC on Wednesday, 21st August and Thursday, 22nd August 2019, where we received presentations. In the first instance, we received more than 40 memoranda from Kenyans. When we had the hearings, we received verbal presentations from most of the stakeholders. The second day, 22nd August, was open and all other Kenyans who had not got a chance to give their memoranda were allowed to present. Of interest is that during public participation, for the first time we received a memorandum from some very important Kenyans who are our counterparts outside. I hope they are hearing this. When you walk around Nairobi and indeed other towns in Kenya, you will see people surrounding some individuals who talk about several issues, including the current political issues. Those particular individuals, we realised, are well informed. These are the people we call “Bunge la Mwananchi”. For the first time, they brought a memorandum. It is a very organised group. They have a president and cabinet secretaries managing various sectors. They came to the committee. They first wrote their memorandum and we invited them and they attended. They were very informed and they discussed several issues, which were not limited to the issues in the Finance Bill. Of interest was the issue of environmental conservation, where they proposed that the Government should strengthen the recycling of plastics to clean the city, together with the issue of capital gains tax which, according to them, was not a good move. They proposed that the Government should ensure that as we build affordable housing, we also retain the incentives which Kenyans have in building houses for Kenyans, so that that rent and all issues on housing should be retained at that level. In fact, our committee was so impressed that we had invited them but they were not able to come because I think they had a busy schedule. I did not realise that that Bunge is very official that they have an afternoon sitting and therefore they were not able to come. I want to confirm that various stakeholders came from different sectors of the economy. Number one on the list is an organisation called “Green Bonds”. There is also Google Kenya, because of obvious reasons that for the first time we are bringing digital markets into the taxation bracket. There was the Association of International Cargo Consolidators, the Golden Gate Cargo Services, KEPSA, the East Africa Venture Association, which is promoting venture capital, the Agrochemicals Association of Kenya, the East African Forum, the Nairobi Securities Exchange, the Kenya Bankers Association, the Law Society of Kenya, PwC, KPMG, Kenya Wines Agencies, Kenya Breweries, East Africa Petroleum Transporters Association, and other Kenyans who came as individuals. This is majorly led by a Kenyan who has always been participating in analysing the Finance Bill and I wish to recognise him: Ernest Muguku. He has been going through the Bill clause by clause and giving us views. There is also Njoroge Waweru, who has been talking very passionately about promoting a reading culture in Kenya. Those are the few who I can mention for now but over 40 people came for the public participation hearings. The stakeholder consultations went on very well. I want to confirm that the various issues which even this House has touched on when we were starting are the same issues that were covered extensively by the stakeholders. I now want to go to the Bill itself so that I bring Members up to speed to understand what this Bill proposes to do. This Bill proposes measures to collect at least more than Kshs30 billion to help the Government meet its needs in implementing the Budget, more so in recognition that there is the current policy which the Government is implementing, the Big 4 Agenda. Most of the incentives are here to ensure that the agenda, especially housing and manufacturing, are enhanced. 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."
}