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{
    "id": 111199,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/111199/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 154,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the major objective of the Budget of the Government of Kenya for the Fiscal Year 2009/2010 was and still is to stimulate the economic activity in our country. Last year, our economic grew only by an estimated 2.2 per cent, falling well short of the pace at which our population increased. As a consequence, regrettably, poverty deepened in our country. Rather than accelerating as intended, the economic growth actually decelerated in the second half of last year. The slow pace of implementation of the Economic Stimulus Programme, the issue that was raised by the Member for Githunguri, is partly possible for this outcome. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as you will recall, the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) was introduced in the year 2009/2010 Budget as the key instrument to stimulate the economy. In this regard, we are not alone. Many countries in the world that are faced with similar circumstances introduced ESPs. The House will recall that in the United States, President Barrack Obama came up with a massive US$800 billion programme to stimulate the economy. Accordingly, quite a large sum, namely Kshs30 billion was allocated in the Budget for that programme. Because the very purpose of this programme was to stimulate the weak economy, it was to be implemented almost fully by December, 2009. In other words, our intention was to inject a stimulus equivalent of 1.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second half of last year through the implementation of ESP. Mr. Speaker, Sir, by the end of last year, the Treasury had released Kshs3 billion for that programme, which is about one-tenth of what was intended. An additional Kshs1.7 billion was released in the first two months of this year, bringing the total for the fiscal year to about Kshs4.7 billion. Of this total, Kshs252 million was released to the Ministry of Education, Kshs633 million to the Ministry of Fisheries Development, Kshs1.303 billion to the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation; Kshs250 million to the Ministry of Industrialization and none to the Ministry of Local Government. Those are the Ministries that the hon. Member for Githunguri specifically listed for an explanation of slow implementation. A breakdown of the releases by the implementing Ministries is provided in Table 1, which I shall lay on the Table here. This table also provides amounts that the Treasury expects to release during this month; that is by March, 2010. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that these figures relate to the Exchequer releases by the Treasury. The actual amounts spent on the projects are not yet available at the Treasury. I have, therefore, directed that all the implementing Ministries submit a report to the Office of the Prime Minister answering directly and fully the Question directed to me by the hon. Member for Githunguri. I will have the report summarized and forwarded to the House."
}