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{
    "id": 1132863,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1132863/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 321,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": "also taken advantage of opportunities emerging from the crisis. Several examples were given in terms of companies that have innovations and infrastructure investments made as part of responding to this challenge. All those are contained in the Report. In short, the confirmation is that we are building back better. The President also revisited the journey towards the realisation of the shared vision of our founding fathers - let me also add, and of our founding mothers. Those had been identified as the need to eradicate the indignities that come from ignorance, disease and hunger. This ignorance, disease and hunger could be broadly interpreted or just looked at in terms of academic ignorance, disease as we know it or hunger of food as we know it. But, the President broadened these. He articulated how his administration has attempted to respond to this challenge from our founding fathers through what I summarised as a multi-faceted yet connected four thematic frames or approaches. When you look at all this, the first two frames basically capture economic development. We have economic acceleration and big push investments under those two frames. When you look at that, it mirrors what is captured in the economic pillar within the Vision 2030. Much as we have been doing this since 2013, I note that, for example, even President Biden has used a similar approach in the revival of America. It is through what he is calling his bottom-up middle-out model which is anchored on infrastructure investments with the motivation to close that infrastructure gap. It is to build the middleclass, build the infrastructure base and help uplift the people at the bottom. It is different people using different approaches but I am glad that, at least, Kenya may even have shown America what to do. When we look at economic acceleration, it involves what the President referred to as the multiplication of economic fundamentals. This is not just at the national level but also at the county level. Whatever investments that are made at the national level, in terms of road networks, infrastructure and health to catalyse further development, they are done at all those other levels. Several examples were given and Members have been talking about them in their constituencies, including the advancements in health, so that Kenyans do not have to go looking for health services outside Kenya. One of the realisations that came is that you will be left with no PPEs when there is a global lockdown and you do not have your own productive capacity. We saw examples of what is happening in Kitui. If you do not have your production capacity or response capacity in terms of healthcare, it means, even with your money and international insurance, you will not be able to access those health services you are insured for internationally and with lockdowns across the country. Hence, we need to have that capacity here. The confirmation is that we now have them. Those are the things we can celebrate. In terms of the big push investments, we heard about the new ones like the express ways, the SGR and all that. Most important is the revival of the debt capital in all stalled projects like what happened in the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC). The KMC is something that was basically being used as a cash cow for some people. There was exploitation of farmers. It is now becoming something that is used to reward producers of raw materials who are the farmers. The third frame the President talked about involves the thematic frame he termed as “the restoration of dignity”. This basically involves investments, not at the economic level but social investments required in the water sector, in health, education and security. It is the investment required to secure the rights in Article 43 of our Bill of Rights to ensure that every Kenyan can have a good and quality life. The thing that really touches on the pain of the ordinary Kenyans is whether they have education and water, and whether mothers and sisters are receiving quality care in maternity services. Again, I have been listening to Members on this. Progress in this area is 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."
}