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{
    "id": 979104,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/979104/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 310,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Godfrey Osotsi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13172,
        "legal_name": "Godfrey Osotsi",
        "slug": "godfrey-osotsi"
    },
    "content": "That is the vision that will reduce competition in the industry. We have been complaining about Safaricom dominance, but that is because we have not regulated the industry in the right way. One of the ways is to properly utilise the USF Fund. We are also seeing a challenge of duplication of projects. The USF is being used to connect schools. We have another project by the ICT Ministry called the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI), which is connecting counties to fibre. Recently, under the Big Four Agenda, the Government started connectivity to health facilities and manufacturing projects. We are creating confusion. I thought the best thing would be to have a uniformed approach to this, so that we can deliver connectivity to all parts of the country. I know this House passed a Motion to have free access to WIFI. I sponsored that Motion, so that the USF, KCA telecommunications operators and private companies can work together to ensure that we have connectivity across the country by ensuring that we have a streamlined process of infrastructure development. As I speak, we have a lot of money lying in the bank under the USF and we wonder when it will be used. At one point in time, the President directed that part of that money goes to security, but the then Director- General of the Communication Authority refused. The President had realised that we had money which was not being utilised. I want to tell Communications Authority of Kenya, because I am a Member of the Departmental Committee on Information, Communication and Innovation, that they must pull up their socks. They should ensure they have good sustainable programs which will ensure utilisation of this Fund. If this Fund was utilised well, we would be having almost 100 per cent connectivity in this country. For example, if National Optic Fibre Backbone, which is under the Information and Communication Technology Authority could partner with the Universal Service Fund and all other private investors, some of these connectivity challenges would be addressed. So, I think the Special Funds Accounts Committee has done a good job. But next time, they should look at the utilisation of this Fund in terms of projects it is supposed to deliver. The projects under the school connectivity program are poorly done and will not help us achieve universal access. This can only be achieved if we develop the infrastructure."
}