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{
    "id": 1169625,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1169625/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 254,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "see us, they say ‘ Mheshimiwa we do not have electricity, please get us electricity. The Last Mile was only brought to some villages’which is the truth. If you go to Narok County, there are certain areas which are pre-dominated by one ethnic group where even a simple grass-thatched house has electricity. However, on the other part which is pre-dominantly by the people who are the indigenous of that area, there is no electricity. We are calling for proper management of debt. If the debt is there, it can help this country ensure that the people of Shangwe, Lolgorian, Mau, Endesegra and of all the little villages, have electricity. Madam Temporary Speaker, last week, I was in a place called Olchorro. Some of the demands that the locals were asking for during our campaign is that they want electricity. I call the Ministry and Kenya Power and the answer would be ‘we are happy to do the work, but we have no money.’ Yet, here we are today, sitting down and talking and our colleagues are saying we cannot borrow and will not approve any money to be borrowed. Where will we get money to give to Kenya Power to buy transformers to send to those people who want electricity? It is about time that we separate and look at what will help this country develop. If you want good things, you have to be prepared to pay for it. No doubt about it. After a pandemic, the best type of economic model is the demand side economics model which encourages a lot of spending. With proper debt, good roads, good standard of living, people will spend money and the Government will be able to collect taxes and pay. In fact, people will not be in a rush to save money because they know whatever they spend, they will be able to continue earning. If you look at our neighbouring countries, it begs the question because Kenya is the largest economy in the East African (EA) region. By the end of this year, our debt to GDP would be about 70.3 per cent. If you look at our neighbouring country Tanzania, it is about 49 per cent. The question we need to ask ourselves is what is our GDP? Madam Temporary Speaker, if you look at our GDP per capita, it is about US$1,500. If you now look at other countries, it is different. If you look at our economy, we are dealing with an economy of about US$98.9 in billions. Is that the same with other countries? So, we really have to demystify these things. The young students from Kajiado who were here were asking questions about the crisis that is happening between Loliondo and Kenya. I told them that they have to know what is happening in their country because they were concerned about their land. The issue they raised was that because they now live in a group ranch that has not been subdivided. What will happen tomorrow? When the Government borrows money, will it lease our land out to Arabs then we fall victim and our problems will be the same as the ones happening right now with our Maasai brothers in Tanzania? The answer to that was very simple. If we are able to manage our debt and for them to also understand so that they can contribute, then we will never be put in a situation where our land will have to be given out to other foreigners so that the country can continue getting money. It behoves us. I want to encourage all the elected Senators here who will be required to give a vote on this very important thing not to spend the time out in politics trying to confuse"
}