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{
"id": 1238359,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1238359/?format=api",
"text_counter": 26,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Murkomen",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport and Public Works",
"speaker": {
"id": 440,
"legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
"slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
},
"content": "The National Government has constructed 21,556 kilometres of tarmac roads since Independence. The following roads totalling 442 kilometres under Tana River County have over the years been upgraded into bitumen standards. Garsen-Witu-Lamu which is A7 30 kilometres in Tana River County, Garsen- Hola, which is B89, 95 kilometres, Ukasi-Bangale A3 which includes Ukasi to Tana River Bridge is 120 kilometres. Madogo Junction to Hola A3 is 120 kilometres. Kongoni to Garsen is 55 kilometres. Junction B8 to Bonji which is 8 kilometres, River Tana Bridge and Majengo towards Msalani which is 4 kilometres and Hola Town roads, totaling 10 kilometres. Further, the Ministry under its implementing agencies, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), as I have said, annually maintains these roads starting with approximately 442 kilometres of the tarmac roads and 727 kilometres of unpaved roads as indicated in a schedule I have attached and will be seeking to table in this House. I am sure it was shared to the House before, but in the end, I will also table the schedule. Mr. Speaker, Sir, looking at it comparatively, 2 per cent of paved roads are located in Tana River County. If you were to distribute paving of the 21,556 kilometres fairly to every county for the 47 counties, you would need to give around 458 Kilometres to every county while Tana River has 442 kilometres. So, it is within the range of a fair distribution of the roads across the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you look at it critically, Nairobi City County might get a fair share of its tarmac roads, but it is a smaller county compared to Tana River County. So, if the principle of equity is applied, then you come to the conclusion that Tana River County, West Pokot, Turkana, Wajir, Mandera and Marsabit fall within rightly so as identified by the Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA) within the 14 counties that are identified as marginalised in terms of infrastructure development. The Government has however made efforts in addressing this marginalisation by constructing this 442 kilometres of roads, but this is not enough. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Tana River County is also a recipient of Equalisation Fund. The fund whenever was disbursed by the Equalisation Fund Advisory Board (EFAB) was used to maintain roads identified by the stakeholders. Again, in the equalization fund, Tana River County was allocated around Kshs126 million to maintain the roads identified by stakeholders in the county through a process managed by the EFAB. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when the equalization fund was disbursed in 2018 for the first time, the county governments were unhappy with the disbursement through national Government and they felt that it should be given to counties so that the counties can manage. This matter was taken to court. At that point in time, a sum of Kshs3.6 billion had been budgeted for equalization fund. The matter went to court and the court finally determined that equalization fund is a national Government fund and, therefore, should be administered by the Treasury from the national level."
}