{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=138604","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=138602","results":[{"id":1402441,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402441/?format=json","text_counter":198,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Temporary Speaker (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai) took the Chair]"},{"id":1402442,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402442/?format=json","text_counter":199,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Next is the Member for Marakwet West, Hon. Timothy Toroitich."},{"id":1402443,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402443/?format=json","text_counter":200,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Marakwet West, Independent","speaker_title":"Hon. Timothy Kipchumba","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute on this important Bill. I rise to support the County Licensing (Uniform Procedures) Bill (Senate Bill No.9 of 2022). I have read that the intention of this Bill is to establish a uniform procedure for licensing by county governments and for connected purposes. When devolution happened in Kenya, its architecture was never well thought out. When county governments were given power to make certain laws on issuance of licenses, the disparity in procedures and the fees charged has brought a lot of complexities for businesses in this country. You find a county charging a higher fee compared to other counties. As much as they have the power to determine the fee to be charged through their local finance Acts, I think it brings issue of inequality. When a tax is not uniform, it becomes difficult to obey that law. If you look at the records of our courts, there are too many legal battles that have arisen out of cross-border taxation matters. In cross-border collection of local revenue, some counties have higher taxes than others. I believe that uniform legislation will sort out this issue to provide a uniform mechanism of collecting revenue and issuance of licenses in this country. There are multiple inconsistencies in the regimes of tax and levy collection. This kind of legislation will create uniformity of procedures that are put in place and reduce issues of inequality in our country. This issue has affected private investors. If foreign private investors want to invest in the northern region, where I hail from… Various counties have different regimes of levying certain charges which creates an inconsistency. If this legislation is passed, it will ease doing businesses in those counties. I rise to support this legislation insofar as it sets the standard or uniform procedures of processing or charging fees and the minimum legal requirements in the processing of licenses. I support. Thank you."},{"id":1402444,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402444/?format=json","text_counter":201,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Thank you very much. Next is the Member for Bondo, Hon. (Dr) Gideon Ochanda."},{"id":1402445,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402445/?format=json","text_counter":202,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Bondo, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Gideon Ochanda","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to partly support the Bill. The bit that I support is the logic and practicality behind the difficulties we face from time to time in terms of movement of goods and services. On the other hand, there is a problem of uniformity. As I have said before, we are over legislating for counties. In my view, the issue of uniformity is unconstitutional. The spirit of the Constitution is that we are diverse. We need to do things in the best interest of the local situations that counties find themselves in. Every single time we come up with legislations that set uniformity and dictate what counties do, in my view, it is not good for the counties and for the House. The Constitution requires that as much as the counties are interdependent, they are also separate. We have 48 governments and they offer all manner of services. It is true that counties exist in their own geographies, but they do not exist in isolation. They exist in relation to others. They have to relate with others. However, that kind of legislation needs to be left to the county assemblies of each particular county government to come up with, so that they legislate on how to relate with other counties in terms of movement of goods and services. We are not getting one element right and it needs to be checked. This is not the first Bill that talks about issues of uniformity or that tries to set certain things for the county The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"},{"id":1402446,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402446/?format=json","text_counter":203,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Bondo, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Gideon Ochanda","speaker":null,"content":"governments. The county governments are supposed to be semi-independent and to come up with their own legislations and procedures of how to do things. There is a requirement in the Constitution of how counties should raise revenue. They are supposed to be competing in terms of local revenue-raising arrangements. Enforcing uniformity will curtail some counties which may want to raise a little bit more through internal revenue generation. There is a problem. As a matter of caution, somebody may run to court to challenge this Bill if we do not look at it very carefully in terms of its constitutionality and principles of devolution."},{"id":1402447,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402447/?format=json","text_counter":204,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Eric Muchangi, the Member for Runyenjes aka Karemba."},{"id":1402448,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402448/?format=json","text_counter":205,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Runyenjes, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Muchangi Karemba","speaker":null,"content":" Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is also right to call me Hon. Karemba. It is my name and it features on my national identity card. I support the Bill. It is time that we had a uniform law that governs the way business is conducted in counties. One of the roles of the Government is to regulate and facilitate the ease of doing business in the country. The Government can only employ around one million people in the public service. The rest of the people in this country are employed by the private sector. That is where they have been absorbed. The proposed law is supposed to facilitate the ease of doing business. That is where it matters most. It is very difficult for new and small business owners to move around the country selling goods and supplying items. If you have a business that is domiciled or registered in Nairobi and you want to move your items to counties like Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Chuka, Tharaka Nithi or even Meru, you are required to pay distribution licenses in all those counties. It is very difficult to get resources to pay for those licenses and still make a margin of profit from those businesses. You will find that most businesses end up collapsing or dying as a result of multiple levies that are charged on them. This is a very timely proposal. Everybody should support this Bill so that we have a standard or uniform way of charging levies across the counties, so that we can give businesses an opportunity to thrive. This law will help our country to be competitive in terms of doing business. That is where it matters. Once again, I support the Bill. It is timely and everyone should support it because it is a good idea."},{"id":1402449,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402449/?format=json","text_counter":206,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Members, I would now like to call upon the Mover to reply. Mover, you can donate a few minutes."},{"id":1402450,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402450/?format=json","text_counter":207,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Aldai, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Marianne Kitany","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The object of the Bill is to facilitate the ease of doing business in this country. Many businesspeople currently find it very expensive and difficult to engage in business, which creates lack of competition in the country. I love the interest that the Bill has generated in Members from both sides of the House. Members have talked about the object of the Bill, which is to ensure that we have one uniform licensing regime because Kenya is one and we would like to make life easy for businesses and businesspeople. The cost of transporting goods across counties is currently a very expensive affair because as you cross each county, licenses or levies are charged on your goods. This Bill will ensure that the cost of transportation of goods between counties or inter-counties is harmonised. Therefore, consumers will get goods at a very good price. There is also the issue of alcohol and substance abuse. Because of the current licensing regime, counties are issuing licenses haphazardly to any business without caring whether the business is near a school or market. This Bill is timely and it will ensure that we protect consumers from harmful business practices. For example, licensing of the sale of alcohol will be done in a manner that is acceptable to the community. Alcohol dens should not be found near schools or areas that can cause harm to young children. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"}]}