Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 971431,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/971431/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 176,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatangi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 646,
        "legal_name": "Paul Kimani Wamatangi",
        "slug": "paul-kimani-wamatangi"
    },
    "content": "of about Ksh4 billion. Then within a month, a report was released saying that they had decided to revise and would no longer compensate anyone. They waived off the entire Kshs4 billion of compensation. However, when the Committee inquired why they did away with the compensation, they said that they had scaled down the project. However, this was an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project signed at Kshs18 billion. They scaled it down so that they did not need to compensate anyone, but the cost of construction remained the same. It is unbelievable that one would say that they would compensate more than 200 persons affected by the project and then they review the project and say that the cost remained the same. These are some of the things that this Committee intends to deal with. We want to highlight to this House that we have undertaken to ensure that we are going to disaggregate, get down to the bottom of this matter and find out why engineering, procurement and construction contracting specifically affects Chinese contractors only. Madam Temporary Speaker, you might be amazed that when a Chinese contractor is given a contract in Kenya to build a road, every implement they bring, be it an excavator, a tractor, prime mover or lorry, they are all duty free. You will find that person will have all his equipment to do a project in Kenya completely tax free. For example, a moderate truck which is used in construction costs about Kshs10 million in Kenya. However, that person will be bringing in his truck for about Kshs4 million. At the same time, he is expected to compete with Kenyan contractors. A Kenyan contractor will have to pay duty for that truck. If he goes to any of the local dealers here to buy any machinery, he will pay duty. The lowest cost for a good grader right now is about Kshs22 million. A Chinese will bring it here for less than Kshs10 million whereas a Kenyan will pay Kshs22 million. A Kenyan pays Kshs10 million for a truck whereas a Chinese pays Kshs4 million. If a Chinese brings in a simple item like a generator, he will pay less than half the price and yet they are expected to come here and compete with Kenyan contractors. We have adapted to the situation and failed to see beyond that. That is how the Government has ended up labelling every Kenyan contractor a “cowboy contractor”. Once you create such an uneven playing field, how do you expect to give those different terms to two different people to compete on the same arena and expect one to do better than the other yet you have deprived him? These are issues that we believe should be resolved in the course of construction in this country. As I speak on the construction and the highlights that this Committee came across during our visits, one of the most important issues which I believe Kenyans must address is the cavalier attitude; it is the disrespect and disregard for ordinary citizens. When we approached Kitui Town during our inspection, we came across a whole group of Kenyan indigenous traders who have small kiosks around Kitui Town. They have been earning a living there; they sell artefacts, porridge, food and other items. One day in the morning, without giving any notice, agents of the Ministry came and flattened"
}