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{
    "id": 1031448,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1031448/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 403,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kiambu CWR, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Gathoni Wamuchomba",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13244,
        "legal_name": "Gathoni Wamuchomba",
        "slug": "gathoni-wamuchomba"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me the opportunity. I rise to support this Report that emanated from the Committee that I serve in. I am very glad that I was there during the presentations and listened to all the submissions that were done by the stakeholders as well as the Hon. Members from the region who dedicatedly submitted all the concerns. I am glad that, finally, today, we are actually sitting here to say: “Yes, the Report is the way to go.” Every big project of this nature normally has what we call the baseline survey – a survey that is done before the investment is done to advise the investor and the Government on the modules that are going to be used to recover the money that has been invested. I am not so sure whether the baseline survey that was done was actually a clear picture of the scenario on the ground. This is because even after we have done all this investment, it is very clear that there were some things that were overrun or overlooked and assumed. That is what I call the socio-economy. I do not think that the socio-economy of the Standard Gauge Railway project from Mombasa all the way to Nairobi was taken care of properly. I would want to understand if there was a consultant who was involved, how the report was given and how it was put into implementation. The reason I am raising the issue of social impact is because I am aware, and I guess Members of this House are also aware, that there are so many small businesses that were dependent on the traditional mode of transportation from Mombasa to Nairobi, that is, the road transport. There are young men who sell roasted maize, young women who sell milk, men and women who ferry cargo to trucks and mechanics who take care of those trucks along the road from Mombasa all the way Nairobi. That socio-economy was completely blacked out when the directive to use the SGR was given. Therefore, I am very excited that, finally, the Committee in charge of Transport, Public Works and Housing in the National Assembly has sat down and analysed the cost of social impact that has been interfered with by the order to forcefully use SGR for transportation of goods. I also do not think that sensitization of stakeholders was done properly. This is because sensitization would actually have given the gains of using SGR to the stakeholders so that they can make decisions on what to use; either SGR or the road. Therefore, I still feel that even in future, as we revisit this issue, we would want to make sure that sensitization of all stakeholders has been done properly so that we can advise accordingly. The law of feasibility studies states that when you lower the redundant variables as you introduce the catalyst variables, you must make sure that you balance the equation. It is very clear that we introduced a new variable into the transport industry, but we never considered how to withdraw the existing variable. Every time you create that kind of an imbalance, you create confusion. That confusion resulted in total costs increase, losses and many other issues that we have heard the stakeholders complain about. I support the adoption of this Report because that is the way to go. I congratulate the Hon. Member who brought this matter into the attention of this House because, finally, justice is going to be served to the stakeholders of the industry. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker."
}