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{
"id": 1194426,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1194426/?format=api",
"text_counter": 398,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Budalangi, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Raphael Wanjala",
"speaker": null,
"content": " We would sleep in hotels or in friends’ houses just to avoid being arrested. Anything would happen to you. It was not easy, and we have come from far. At that time, the Leaders of the Opposition were Hon. Mwai Kibaki and Hon. Raila Odinga, and they really supported us. When we formed the Government in 2003, the CDF was our priority and, indeed, we started receiving money, although little. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I remember the schools I went to where we would learn under trees because the Government was unable to build classrooms. We would sit on stones because they would not buy desks. Our trousers had two holes at the back because as we sat on stones, and our uniforms would definitely tire as quickly as possible. Uniforms did not last and we were always dirty because we sat under trees on the dust. We have come from far and we have suffered. Since we brought the NG-CDF, we have seen tremendous changes in institutions of learning. Although initially we covered a bigger area, I do not know the judges who sat, closed their eyes and said that the NG-CDF is unconstitutional yet they know the tremendous work it has done on the ground. Even today, my county of Busia has been getting over Ksh10 billion every year for the last 10 years. If you went to Budalangi to see what I have done for the five years with the NG- CDF money, which after removing everything, I would remain with about Ksh50 million for development, the county government cannot match me. You will walk the whole constituency and you will not be shown anything constructed by the county government. I speak this way because in 2005, we brought a referendum because we wanted devolution. The 2005 referendum did not go through, yet it was very good on devolution. That is where we would have entrenched the NG-CDF in the Constitution. If there will be any other amendment in the Constitution, we will come back to this position, that devolution should be in a constituency and not a county. You can see the clamour. People have started singing that they want one tribe living in two constituencies to have its own county. As I have said, we wanted the 290 constituencies to be devolved. Then the structure of the NG-CDF would remain the way it is today. If each constituency was getting Ksh1 billion a year, that is only Ksh290 billion. You have seen how with about Ksh50 million or Ksh60 million every year, you can do a lot. So, Ksh1 billion would have done tremendous work and transformed our constituencies. Our people would be enjoying and there would be no suffering. Today, we do not have water and good roads because the counties have failed. We have nothing to celebrate. We need to go and re-look at what the late President Kibaki insisted on that the constituencies should be devolved. We should then set up a small committee like the one we have, the NG-CDF Committee. Some of us have come from far and we wonder why judges would pass such judgement yet they have seen the tremendous work the NG-CDF has done. Hon. Temporary Speaker, with over Ksh10 billion plus for a county, we do not see money for bursaries. However, with the little money we get through the NG-CDF, we, at least, raised Ksh34 million for bursaries, which has helped many students. Today, many of our students are at home because of lack of school fees. The other day, we had elections and Hon. (Rtd.) Raila was telling the electorate that if they voted for him, he will ensure that they get free education right from early childhood development (ECD) to higher institutions, and they refused. P ia, wakule kiburi yao ! If they voted for him, their children would be in school today. Kenyans, we need to listen to our leaders because in 2002, Hon. (Rtd.) Raila and the late President Kibaki promised that there would be free primary education, and, indeed, when they won, they made it free. Secondary education had been made free when they were together, but in 2013, when both of them left office…"
}