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{
    "id": 134558,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/134558/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 415,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Balala",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Tourism",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 9,
        "legal_name": "Najib Mohamed Balala",
        "slug": "najib-balala"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. I want to appreciate the sentiments of all my colleagues. It is not only a learning experience to share in all these comments but they are also quite a challenge to the Ministry; we should not assume that we can all do everything. I note that I have been given responsibilities of being a Minister of Culture, a Minister of Sports, Minister of Security and a Minister of Wildlife and conferences. So, I take the opportunity to say: Yes, we can do it. We have the capacity, but we do not have the resources with which to implement our programmes. I want to appreciate my colleague, who is a former Director of Tourism, Mr. Musila. He knows how much funding we require at the Ministry. Indeed, diversification of products is crucial. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I agree with my colleagues that we can spread ourselves as far as North Eastern Province, but the perception of insecurity is a challenge. The issue of infrastructure is a challenge. The issue of organised local authorities to be able to offer the products themselves is a challenge. We, in the Ministry of Tourism, have a master plan of the country. We want to sensitize the entire system of Government to be able to incorporate tourism into their operations. It is important for us to expand the products, not only in the North Eastern Province but in the entire northern Kenya region, which is inclusive of Turkana and Marsabit. We have a programme in Lake Turkana, Marsabit as well as in the Mount Kenya region. Mr. Njuguna said that I have never stepped into Central Province. That is not correct. When I was appointed Minister for Tourism, my first trip was to launch a cultural activity in the Mount Kenya region. I went there personally to do the representation. I did not allow my Assistant Minister, who is from the Mount Kenya region, to do it. Yes, we are giving support all over the country. My colleague from the departmental committee, Mr. ole Lankas talked about the Appropriations-in-Aid (A-in- A). It is there. It is just that the format of the Ministry of Finance does not show it in the estimates, but the A-in-A is there. The A-in-A in the Ministry of Tourism is Kshs278 million while the A-in-A for the KICC is Kshs265 million. That is why this year, the KICC was not give a penny. They have been allowed to use the same money that they received, for their operations and expenditure."
}