Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1217591,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1217591/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 131,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "people. It is, therefore, for that reason that we are focusing on having a very lean Government because it is the machinery for service. This will help us push as many resources into the areas that touch on the common person, those who labour, work hard and pay taxes. The very dignified citizens of the Republic of Kenya. In that regard, we have looked at specific areas and targets. I want to enumerate some of those that are already in the Appropriations Bill that we are passing today. First, through this Appropriations Bill, we are unlocking a very robust coolers project. These coolers have been mapped to go to every constituency represented here, especially those that have dairy farming. We have allocated Ksh500 million which is counterpart funding because the Polish Government is providing Ksh9.5 billion to that project. Therefore, we are going to have a Ksh10 billion project that will supply coolers to our farmers as part of value addition within the agricultural value chain. This is a very robust programme and the Government of Kenya, through this Appropriations Bill, is only contributing five per cent to the counterpart funding that is already provided. Secondly, some of the areas that I wish to mention among the many is on food security and it is a shame that our economy is agrarian in nature. If you ask a child in any business class even in Grade One, they would tell you that our economy is deemed to be one that relies on agriculture. It is an oxymoron and a paradox that an economy that is based on agriculture has challenges in feeding its people. This cuts across many economies. Majority of the economies that are premised on agriculture have problems feeding their people. The economies that focus on other productions other than agriculture have food surplus. That is a paradox and to reverse it, we have pushed resources into specific areas within food production as follows: Firstly, there is a project that had been abandoned in Tana River undertaken by Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA). We have allocated Ksh500 million that will go into production of rice. This is because there is no way we can perpetuate importation of rice when we have capacity to unlock the projects that we already have in that regard. Secondly, through this Appropriations Bill, we have also unlocked another serious project called Bura One. This is also an abandoned project and we have allocated Ksh300 million to enable us activate it to spur up rice production in our country. Rice production will also be happening in Tana River. I want to confirm to this House that within our country, some of the areas we see as far-flung could be our saviours. It might be like what Los Angeles did to the United States of America (USA). Some of the areas are productive and they only need some simple mechanisation to add into the food basket. I also wish to mention one other project that the President of Kenya, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, promised to the people of Kisumu and Homa Bay. There have been challenges of unsafe boats when the very dignified citizens of Kenya move from the mainland into the islands within Lake Victoria. The President promised that the people of that area will have a ferry to facilitate them to move from the mainland into the islands. I can confirm to this House that through this Appropriations Bill, we have allocated Ksh300 million for the purchase of ferries to facilitate trade and movement within Homa Bay and Kisumu counties through Lake Victoria. Through the same President’s visit, he also got opinions from the leaders who are in this House. I want to confirm that we have put some money in the initial budget to build Kabunde Airstrip in Homa Bay. That will be starting very soon because that money is already in the Appropriations Bill. I can see Hon. (Dr) Nyikal is resonating with what I am enumerating. We also intend to add value by having the young people of Kenya engaged in productive areas and we have allocated Ksh1.3 billion through this Appropriations Bill to facilitate additional infrastructure within Athi River Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA). The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}