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{
    "id": 976534,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/976534/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 296,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Masinga, WDM-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Joshua Mwalyo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13423,
        "legal_name": "Joshua Mbithi Mwalyo",
        "slug": "joshua-mbithi-mwalyo-2"
    },
    "content": "Again, committee members working for Uwezo Fund have nothing for their own use. They have no transport to use when they are collecting that money and cannot afford to pay fare. In fact, in my constituency, I give them fare from my pocket to go everywhere. This is not supposed to be the case. This is a Government enterprise and, therefore, it should sustain itself. We need to relook into these issues very seriously and come up with measures to help our people. They are blaming us saying that they were being given money by the MPs who were there before. Yet, we are unable to dish out money to them to do their businesses. We are failing because we are not giving out the money. Being Government money, people took advantage. Some said they do not need to repay it because it is free money. Therefore, once that idea entered into the minds of the wananchi, young people, women and those people with disabilities, they ended up not paying. The Committee handling this Fund should come up with a formula on how to unlock those monies so that women groups and young people can spend it to help themselves. If they are unable to pay, then the money can be written-off by the Government and we can start with a clean slate. Nothing is hard for the Government. It can write-off those bad debts and we can continue with whatever we have. We keep on singing every now and then that, that money cannot be spent and yet, it is there. So, it will go back to the National Treasury or elsewhere if it is not collected and there are no payments. Chairladies of some groups have hidden and we do not know them. So, the Government should write-off those bad debts and get a solution so that we can spend what we have at the moment. That money should also help the old men because men are not allocated any funds and they seem to be an endangered species. We just emphasise on women, people with disabilities and the youth. The old men have been asking us why they are classified. For example, if there are 10 men, can they create a group and be given money by Uwezo Fund? I think we should open this Fund to everybody who is able to pay - like the registered groups - to borrow. That should be regardless of whether they are men, women, people with disabilities or the youth, because they are all Kenyans. With those few remarks, I suggest that something needs to be done so that those funds are unlocked to help our people."
}