Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1148774,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1148774/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 50,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Halake",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13184,
        "legal_name": "Abshiro Soka Halake",
        "slug": "abshiro-soka-halake"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I was saying that we cannot be told there are budgetary constraints, especially with projects that have good source of financing such as the World Bank and other development partners. The World Bank, through the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP), also works in Isiolo County. Similar things are being witnessed where projects have been ongoing for so long. In the past, partner finance projects saw the light of day. If partner finance projects are not seeing the light of day now, what are we saying? Our counties have stalled projects. Have our counties now become places where we start projects to hoodwink the population into thinking the county is working; when, in fact, nothing is being done even for projects for which money is available? It is incumbent upon this House to protect devolution. This is under Article 96 of our Constitution. This House is supposed to protect counties and their governments. By extension, the Senate is also supposed to protect the people in the counties. We need to make sure we look at these things. There are projects which have been ongoing for 17 years. In Isiolo County, for example, the abattoir has been under construction for the last 17 years. What is this? A project has been ongoing in two different systems of governments. The project is now under devolved system of governance, even though it started before with partner financing. I am not going to say it is the World Bank, even though I suspect it is. It started before devolution. Two different systems of government exchange the parliamentary cycle and nothing has been done. This House needs to start looking at these things. We need to fight for resources to go downstream to provide to the frontline of service delivery. If we do not, then we are wasting our time talking and not achieving results. This Statement should be directed to the Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural resources or Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industrialization. These are some of the things that we need to do. Perhaps after this is dealt with, this House - even if it is in the next Parliament - should ensure there is an audit of all projects that have stalled. It is becoming a drain in the economy, a health hazard and a facade. In Isiolo County, from the airport, to the abattoir, to the Market and the stadium are flagship projects that could have changed the lives of the people. These are big projects that are looking at different sectors such as the livestock sector which is the main livelihood of our people. The county does not have an abattoir. The construction of the first one started 17 years ago and it is yet to be completed. An international airport is under construction and we told that it will open the northern frontier district to international trade. It is not working because only 1.4 kilometres of the tarmac has been done and the rest has stalled. The market that burned four years ago is still being done. This market was started before the fire. Madam Temporary Speaker, the issue of stalled projects is now becoming a drain on the Exchequer. As we pump more money to county governments, we must make sure stalled projects are dealt with and an audit of the same is done. There has to be a"
}