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{
    "id": 121268,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/121268/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 396,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Sugar Factory is an institution that has been talked about for a very long time, and there is potential. As I look at all those industries, they are part of stimulating the economy. It is important to take care of what you have before you start new ventures. Pan African Paper Mills (Pan-Paper) is an ugly scenario in our economy. The amount required to get it moving is not a lot. We are talking about Kshs1.6 billion. How do you stimulate the economy by buying dying cows, but you cannot find money to restart an industry that employed over 15,000 people? I am by no means demeaning the intervention of the Government when many farmers were losing cows, but if money could be found for that, for sure, it should also be found to get Pan-Paper back on its feet. These are few industries that can help create employment in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe Kazi kwa Vijana Programme, is one of the worst scandals that this country is going through. That is a waste of a lot of money. Nobody can account for Kazi kwa Vijana Programme. That money could have been utilized to move those factories forward, because they employ the youth. There is another programme which is coming up. I do not know whether we are turning into a socialist state, where we want to give certain people free money – money that we are taxed. I think, as a country, we need to be a bit serious. We cannot use taxpayers’ money and say that we are giving it to the less fortunate, when we are giving it to people who voted for us. We are using public money to campaign. That trend is dangerous and unacceptable. We need to be serious with the economic issues that affect our country. Therefore, I urge the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance to give the Kazi Kwa Vijana Programme money to constituencies in equal proportions so that hon. Members can use it as part of CDF and create projects that we can see. If somebody spends Kshs1 billion and tells us that he was using it to slash grass somewhere when we have councils that are supposed to be doing that, that is an insult to the taxpayer. I am requesting the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance to relook at the Kazi Kwa Vijana Programme. I am also requesting him to be careful about the new programme of giving people in the slums free money and saying that we want to improve their livelihoods. We are not a socialist state. We are a country that has chosen a certain economic direction and we need to stick to that direction. With those few remarks, I support the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance."
}