{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=154654","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=154652","results":[{"id":1564722,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564722/?format=json","text_counter":101,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Mungatana, MGH","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. In your response Waziri, when you were asked about how you have gone out of your way to explain the opportunities that exist for women by Sen. Joyce Korir, especially in remote and underprivileged areas, you said that you have taken a multisectoral approach, and that you have gone to other places and you gave the example of Marsabit and Kakamega. In this Senate we have 47 counties. Two out of 47 is 4.25 per cent. The question I wanted to ask you as a follow up is, when are you coming to Tana River? When are you going to the rest of the other counties? When are you rolling out this programme, so that we can host you in our various counties to explain these opportunities to the other people? You did not tell us about this programme. You only mentioned Marsabit and Kakamega. We want to hear when you will be coming to the rest of the counties. I thank you."},{"id":1564723,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564723/?format=json","text_counter":102,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. King","speaker_title":"The Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Hon. Cabinet Secrtary, you may now proceed to respond."},{"id":1564724,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564724/?format=json","text_counter":103,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Before I answer the supplementary questions, I think Members are very much interested in the Hustler Fund. I want to commit myself that you can set aside time, so that I can come and meet the Members out of the normal session, so that we are able to explain in detail how the Hustler Fund is working and how it can help the Members, and your constituent who helped you to come to this House. If you will give me that opportunity, I will avail myself to do that. On the issue of labour mobility, we are working with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, and I saw that the Cabinet Secretary in charge of labour was here. We are working and our role is actually provide finances. The identification of opportunities The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1564725,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564725/?format=json","text_counter":104,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development","speaker":null,"content":"that are there overseas is the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. As soon as they identify those particular people, they just forward a list with the necessary documents to prove that these people actually have got a job overseas and they have the necessary documentation to travel, and that they have letters of appointment, then we facilitate them. So far we have facilitated 268. To know where they have gone, if they have not gone, that is the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. My role is just to get a list with the necessary documents from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, facilitate the financing and my responsibility ends there. To know who went, who never went or where they are going, that information can be availed from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. On the issue of NYOTA and KJET, this is a very important initiative that you, as Members of Parliament, should be aware of. It is a joint initiative with the Kenyan Government and the World Bank that involves about Kshs33 billion. Already, the sensitization programme is going on. Unfortunately, with the Members of the National Assembly. Since the selection of the beneficiaries is based on wards, they thought that Members of Parliament would be the best ones with the Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs). These people are sensitized to apply on phone since it is a digital application process. Unfortunately, the Senate has not been properly included. I commit myself that you are Members of Parliament, and so, you must be aware of what is happening. I also commit myself that given the opportunity, because this is a very important initiative, I am ready to come and sensitize you or take you through the programme. On the issues raised by my Secretary General, Sen. Sifuna, I know we were in the same boat that time, but I never heard of this money being a grant. That was the truth. I was only in the same boat when we were saying that this money should not be paid. Now I am in a different boat. I am now saying that Kenyans who have borrowed this money should pay because I feel that this money is a good initiative that will help many Kenyans. Unfortunately, when such initiatives come up after an election, members of the public think that they are being rewarded, which is why we had so many defaulters when the Fund started. Let me assure Senate that we are working on a system where we will ensure that this amount is recovered, so that more Kenyans benefit from this money. Please, note that out of the 20 million Kenyans that started borrowing from this Fund, two million of them have proved to be good borrowers. For these good borrowers, we have introduced a bridging loan. These are the people who have been given a better limit, for them to borrow up to Kshs150,000. Out of the 20 million, two million have been promoted to what we call a bridging loan. This Fund is working very well and helping many Kenyans despite the initial problems we had. On the Hustler Fund helping cooperatives, it is a different product. We use a digital platform to access through one’s phone without interacting with any individual. So, it will be difficult to take that fund and divert it to cooperatives. However, in the Cooperatives Bill, 2024 that is before the Senate, there is a provision of creating a The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1564726,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564726/?format=json","text_counter":105,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development","speaker":null,"content":"Cooperative Development Fund. Based on how we will pass it here, that is the fund that we will use to support cooperatives specifically. It will be a levy collected from cooperatives and also Government allocation to that fund, so that we can scale up the operations of most cooperatives, especially those in the critical value chain. On providing records of the Hustler Fund, I have clearly said here that the Fund is a digital platform facility. If you want a printout, I can do it, but if you go to our website, it will show you how it is operated. The Hustler Fund is critical in that it helps many Kenyans. I have committed myself to come here and explain to Members, so that they know how it is working. I have admitted that there are bad debts and we are working to see how that can be recovered. One Member asked if I paid Kshs6,000 that had been promised to jobless youths by AZIMO Party. As you know, AZIMIO lost the elections. Maybe you could organize yourself, so that if they have a chance of coming into power, then they give Kshs6,000. We are in the Kenya-Kwanza Government and they have their own priorities. Since we are now under the Broad-based Government, we are now working towards their agendas."},{"id":1564727,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564727/?format=json","text_counter":106,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair]"},{"id":1564728,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564728/?format=json","text_counter":107,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Abdul Haji) in the Chair]"},{"id":1564729,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564729/?format=json","text_counter":108,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development","speaker":null,"content":"Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on the issue of us knowing how these funds are used, one Member here mentioned the issue of Kamari . With the Hustler Fund, it will be difficult for us, as a Ministry, to follow how the individual uses that money. On other funds such as the Kenya Industrial Estate (KIE), we are able to follow, monitor and make respective reports, because this is targeted money to make sure that it is given to entrepreneurs. Those entrepreneurs use it properly; they pay back with interest of eight per cent. It is for a specific period supposed to help the entrepreneurs to grow and create more employment. That will be easier to monitor and that is what we do. We do the same for Uwezo Fund, but for Hustler Fund, it would be difficult. On the question by Sen. Eddy on the legal impact, I assure you that we are in the process of doing that. We have commissioned a consultant to help us come up with the impact assessment of the Hustler Fund. The Fund is operated by two private service providers, that is, Safaricom Kenya Limited and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). KCB is the custodian of funds, but the operation is carried out by Safaricom Kenya Limited. Therefore, we are in the process of carrying out an impact assessment. I am hopeful that in the near future, we will give a report on that."},{"id":1564730,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564730/?format=json","text_counter":109,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development","speaker":null,"content":"On the last one raised by my friend, Sen. Mungatana, I just gave Kakamega as one example of where we were two weeks ago. The next Friday, we will be going to Marsabit County. We have a programme involving 47 counties. I will let him know when we will be going to Tana River and would appreciate if he will be around in order for us to speak one language."},{"id":1564731,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1564731/?format=json","text_counter":110,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Abdul Haji","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. We have come to the end of the session with the hon. Cabinet Secretary."}]}