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{
    "id": 509250,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/509250/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 333,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Baiya",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 8,
        "legal_name": "Peter Njoroge Baiya",
        "slug": "peter-baiya"
    },
    "content": "I come from Githunguri Constituency, which is close to Nairobi. When I speak with my constituents, now and again, they complain about roads. They want to have a road from Uplands to somewhere in Ruiru, which will possibly cost the Government about Kshs2 billion. If you deal with the other roads within that area, perhaps, they may cost the Government about Kshs5 billion. If you look at the dairy project in the constituency, where I happen to have been a chairman, its total turnover in about Kshs5 billion. The people of Githunguri cannot raise money to build roads. So, they expect the Government to build those roads and help them to become more productive and efficient. Therefore, when the Government says it is going to construct 10,000 kilometres of roads countrywide, we ought to evaluate what that is going to do in terms of helping this economy to drive productivity and efficiency in doing business. The savings we will realise will actually make the borrowed money look insignificant to the relative gain that the economy will realise from those investments. For instance, electricity keeps out many investments because of its cost. One of the factors driving the cost of electricity is that we are generating electricity from diesel. That is actually considered among the most expensive ways of generating electricity. We need to invest in viable ways of tapping electricity; ways which will bring down the cost of electricity for years to come so that businesses using energy can become viable and cost effective. Therefore, these are very strategic projects that will help bring down the cost of running this economy and make many businesses viable. They will also make the existing businesses expand and allow Kenyans to develop this economy. The concern of the hon. Members is that we may experience problems in implementing these projects. Perhaps, those concerns are brought about by past experiences which were not good. However, it is also important for hon. Members to evaluate our current situation. We have the new Constitution and a new system. In passing this Motion we will be giving the Government a ceiling up to where it can negotiate new loans. When it comes to implementation, Parliament will have an opportunity to scrutinise the implementation of projects though the Budget. This is basically to allow the Government to plan for big infrastructure projects. The Policy Paper has clearly explained that this will be the case. If we were to deny a government this kind of leeway to which it has been voted into office, we will, in effect, be stifling it from implementing its mandate, which it has already been given by being elected into office. I believe it behoves those who would wish that the Government does not perform; they should actually give the Government the opportunity to perform so that they can possibly comment after the process of implementation has been undertaken. However, looking at the framework of implementation currently under the new law, including the Public Finance Management Act, there are rigorous conditions that the government must comply with. There are other oversight agencies that are already in existence within the current framework; from the Public Procurement Oversight Authority, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Auditor General and so on. All these instruments will be available to help Parliament play oversight role as the Government implements these projects. Therefore, it has been demonstrated that the Government has the capacity to implement these huge investment projects. It would be a wasted opportunity if we denied 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."
}