Politics and policy
Majority leader Aden Duale said local firms must be enabled to compete with companies such as Safaricom. PHOTO | FILE
By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
MPs last evening voted to compel telecommunications company Safaricom
to set aside 30 per cent of a multi-billion shilling security
surveillance contract for local firms, even as it emerged that it will
cost taxpayers Sh35.9 billion to roll out the project countrywide.
The MPs approved amendments by Majority leader Aden Duale
compelling Safaricom and its agents to set aside Sh4.47 billion of the
Sh14.9 billion tender for provision of the security system in Nairobi
and Mombasa counties to Kenyan-owned firms.
MPs debated the report of the Administration and
National Security committee, which investigated the award of the tender
for the proposed national surveillance, communication, command and
control system for the National Police Service.
The committee chaired by Tiaty MP Asman Kamama said
the government would have to pay an extra Sh21 billion to set up the
project in the rest of the country.
Safaricom has, however, repeatedly stated that
total cost for rolling out the project countrywide is Sh21 billion, and
not the amount quoted by MPs.
“It is clear from our submissions to the (Security)
committee that it would cost Sh21 billion to roll out to 47 counties,”
said the Safaricom corporate affairs director Tuesday in reaction to the
statements made on the floor of the House.
Mr Duale also amended the report to ensure that the
government adheres to all laws governing procurement and contracts and
that the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) ensures that frequency
assigned to Safaricom is subjected to the approval of the authority’s
board.
Mr Duale said Safaricom is not wholly owned by
Kenyans and that there is need to ensure that Kenyan-owned ICT firms are
given some of the contracts for technological and skills transfer.
“Safaricom is owned 40 per cent by Vodafone, a UK
firm. To ensure job creation, Safaricom Limited and or their agents who
will be charged with the responsibility of rolling out the project will
give 30 per cent of the contracts to Kenyan owned companies.
“We are not here to sell mitumba. We must protect the interest of Kenyans,” he said.
The Majority leader said local firms must be enabled to compete with companies such as Safaricom.
“This House should move further and say every
multinational company should forfeit a certain percentage of their
shares to locals,” he said.
Energy and Communications committee chairman Jamleck Kamau seconded amendments by Mr Duale.
“It is not the business of the House to approve the
tenders. We need to give government authority to proceed and implement
the project through Safaricom,” he said in another amendment that
cleared the signing
No comments :
Post a Comment