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{
    "id": 114199,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/114199/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 245,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Lesrima",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 178,
        "legal_name": "Simon Saimanga Lesirma",
        "slug": "simon-lesirma"
    },
    "content": " Thank you Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Presidential Address. Although the President congratulated the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Review, we also need to recognise the contribution of an informal lobby group of Members of Parliament led by Mr. Mungatana and Mr. Olago. They also did a bit of work on the background. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Draft Constitution but we should not be told that we should not talk about amendments when the document is brought before this House. I come from a marginalized area of Kenya. On representation and the geography of the area where we come from, in spite of the few people we have, when talking about equality of vote and so on, community interests should be paramount. The other issue I want to talk about is infrastructure in our region. Infrastructure in my area is extremely poor. In fact, as of now, my constituency is inaccessible. The roads are worse than they were at Independence. The Government, under the leadership of the current President, must be congratulated for massive improvement on infrastructure, particularly international highways, the roads in cities, urban area and in certain parts of the country. However, if we were to move on as one country, we need some kind of equity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the tarmac road ended at Rumuruti in 1982. It was supposed to reach Loiyangalani, a tourist centre and a place we have the largest lake in Kenya. That is Lake Turkana which has 700 square kilometers of water compared to Lake Victoria which has 300 square kilometers. The Minister for Tourism talked about tourism and how well they have done but if infrastructure is improved in that region, Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can double. We keep on talking about Vision 2030. We are aware that the Port of Lamu, the railway line and the pipeline to Sudan will also pass through my constituency, but how will the equipment and the personnel be moved if the roads are not there? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to talk about security. Like Mr. Kabando wa Kabando said, I also pray that this is the last Grand Coalition Government we will ever have in Kenya. This is because if we truly had a Government in charge, some of the things I am talking about now should not happen at all. I am embarrassed to serve as an Assistant Minister in the Office of the President in charge of the Provincial Administration and Internal Security. I am extremely embarrassed before my constituents and Kenyans because there is nothing I can do to save my people. I am speaking here on record. This morning my constituents were raided at 5.00 a.m. Two people were killed and several seriously injured. Many head of livestock were driven across the border to a neighbouring constituency in spite of the fact that my Minister came to my constituency to announce the disarmament exercise. Where do Kenyans get that kind of courage? That level of impunity can only be exercised in a Government which I serve. I appeal to my colleagues who have been traversing my constituency in my absence in the guise of peace caravans to walk the talk. It is pointless coming to talk about peace in my constituency in my absence several times and yet you cannot contain raids from your constituency. Please, walk the talk!"
}