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{
    "id": 1334346,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1334346/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 259,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport and Public Works",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "do with KeRRA? Many roads have annual maintenance requirements. So, should they continue using 10 per cent or 22 per cent of their budget to maintain murrum roads while most of them have been upgraded to tarmac? Should KeRRA be abandoned completely and left without resources being allocated? Sometimes KeRRA ends up advertising roads through the support of the public participation budget. They stage improvements and this is how the Chebole Road got money for maintenance. One of the reasons why I was excited to respond to this question is for us to find ways of addressing the 5,000 kilometres of roads, which I have christened abandoned or orphaned. It is because they do not have resources allocated for their maintenance. Secondly, after KeRRA discovered that the low volume seal was counterproductive, on their own motion, they stopped all roads. Even if they had advertised under low volume seal, they instructed the contractors to deliver high standards. It is better to deliver one-quarter or three-quarters instead of delivering a road with low standards. The road from Kilgoris to Emurua Dikirr is facing this challenge, but we are thinking of how to handle it. Hon. Rebecca Tonkei was straightforward and reminded me to remember marginalised counties. For example, Narok is a very vast county, if you look at the records, they have a good number of tarmacked roads. The Sekenani and Mau Narok roads are complete. Vast counties like Narok, Marsabit or Kajiado do not have enough roads to serve people because they have very vast land. So, we tarmac roads and people still say they are marginalised because of the vastness of land compared to smaller counties. This is a problem. Hon. Wamboka of Bumula Constituency is right that all roads have stalled. These roads were allocated about Ksh10 billion and they are not the only ones. Road construction has stalled in almost every county. As I said earlier, it will be the beneficiary if the ministry with the direction and guidance of the President looks for resources. Hon. Hilary Kosgei of Kipkelion West also asked a question on roads. We will not construct roads to address political issues. The Ministry is blind to political sides. As the Government of Kenya, we equally serve both sides of the political divide. For over 10 years, there has been a plan to tarmac the Ainamoi-Mbogo Valley-Nandi Hills road. The design was completed this year. We have future plans to award resources to ensure connectivity and access to Nandi, Kericho, Narok, West Pokot and Turkana counties. Hon. Owen Baya asked about a matter which did not happen in this House. I am sorry, I will come back to Garissa. On the accusation of impropriety, let me say that sometimes when I become a little bit tough, people think that I am being arrogant. In this situation, a Member who is not from this House, stood in public and told me to ensure that contracts are not given to people who are not from his community. He also said that his community is full of witches. Therefore, if I award tender to a contractor from another community, we will not hold him accountable. Despite being called arrogant, I told him off. I have never told a Member of Parliament off. If I had kept quiet upon hearing that contractors cannot work in certain communities or those from certain communities cannot be given work, I would have abdicated my responsibility as a public servant. I expected the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to take stern action against that Member. The question about Ksh10 billion to Ksh100 billion contract, I have left my lawyers to address it. Any Member with an issue should inform the relevant institution so they can deal with it. I want to inform everyone that I will continue serving. I will not instruct any Government agency to deny people contracts based on the communities they come from. Also, I will not superintend over a ministry that denies any community roads by virtue of how they voted or their tribe. I will not allow this. A question was asked about Garissa which is a marginalised county. They are beneficiaries of a major programme being done in collaboration with development partners. The road from Lamu to Ijara was badly delivered. When the President was elected, this was 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"
}