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{
    "id": 1216848,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1216848/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 129,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ugunja, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Opiyo Wandayi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "If there was misuse of Article 223 of the Constitution by the previous regime, there has been equally misuse of the same Article of the Constitution in this nascent regime. There is evidence. For us to cure this disease once and for all as a House, let us put our foot down and say that Article 223 of the Constitution must only be applied where it is necessary and in strict interpretation of the Constitution and the supporting legislation and regulations – the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act and the PFM (National Government) Regulations 2015. I do not want to lecture the House too much on financial issues or economics. I want to conclude because I also want to hear other people contribute to this critical debate. As I conclude, subsidies have been removed wantonly. As you remove subsidies, you must provide safety nets to protect the vulnerable poor Kenyans. You do not just remove subsidies because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) have compelled you to do so. We are not subjects of the IMF and the World Bank. We are a sovereign State with our unique challenges. That is why we have applied those subsidies to cushion the vulnerable segments of the population. If I were to be a consultant for this Government, I would advise them to do something different from what they are doing. Subsidies have to be re- introduced as we look for long-term solutions, not just pandering to the whims of IMF and the World Bank like a banana republic. Kenya is not a banana republic to be dictated to by foreign entities which have no understanding of our circumstances and unique culture. On the issue of education, I expected monies to be provided to deal with the biting shortage of teachers in our schools and, more so, to deal with the matter of CBC and its implementation. We need more money to recruit and adequately train teachers to handle the CBC. That is not here. On universities, from where we sit, we are totally opposed to any idea of privatising public universities and of increasing university fees. Therefore, we would have expected proposals to provide for money to bail out public universities from the current crunch that they are in, and to provide subsidies to address the tuition cost for our poor children. I will not reject or oppose this Motion, because I know Kenyans are suffering. But in the next cycle when we will be dealing with the Budget of 2023/2024 Financial Year, I will expect that all these issues that I have raised are factored in without looking at the political affiliations. Kenyans do not eat politics. What they want are sound policies that can help them go through the tough times they find themselves in. Hon. Speaker, with those very many remarks, I support. Thank you."
}