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{
    "id": 135114,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/135114/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 456,
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    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, from the colonial period and after we got Independence, 45 years later, the public policy of this nation favoured the so-called “high potential areas” against the rest - almost 80 per cent of Kenya who live in arid areas. When the President of this Republic formed the Grand Coalition Government in April, 2008 he saw the need to create the Ministry of State for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Areas. He realised that the arid and semi-arid areas of this Republic had suffered due to inadequate resources provisions and poor infrastructure. These realities are still with us. The development gap between northern Kenya and the rest of the country is too wide. While the incidence of poverty in Kenya as a whole fell from 52 per cent in 1997 to 46 per cent in 2006, this fall concealed significant disparities. I will just give a few examples. During the same period, the number of people who lived in poverty in North Eastern Province rose from 68 per cent. Absolute poverty levels in Marsabit, Samburu and Moyale are all above 84 per cent. It is no wonder most of the poor constituencies fall within the arid and semi-arid areas. North Horr is the third poorest constituency in this Republic after two constituencies in Turkana. In addition, about 30 per cent of children in northern Kenya aged between 6 years and 17 years have never been to school. Adult literacy is one-quarter of the national average. Maternal mortality rate is two-and-a-half times higher compared with the rest of this Republic. There is not a single High Court or university campus in the whole arid area. Again, it is only Garissa District that is connected to the national power grid. If this nation has to prosper, this gap in opportunity and well being must be closed. That way, the people of northern Kenya will achieve their full potential. There is high potential in northern Kenya and that is why this Ministry is critical in addressing the problems that the people who live there face. The economic value of the livestock sub- sector in the ASAL areas is estimated to be worth Kshs70 billion. What has the Government done with that? If Botswana can do something with its livestock economy, why not the Kenyan State? I am sure we have oil and gas deposits in northern Kenya. Wind energy and livestock-related products can easily enable this region to prosper if the potential is utilised by the State. It is critical to note that northern Kenya is strategic in terms of location. It can also be a gateway to more than 100 million consumers in untapped markets in the neighbouring countries, for example, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Eriteria. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have to invest in education; human resource in this region. The rest of Kenya had the famous “airlift” while northern Kenya never benefitted. Maybe this is the time the Government should do something about the development of human resource in this region. With regard to drought management, we do not have to deal with emergencies. We can save all the resources including livestock and human life in northern Kenya if we prepare and plan for drought. All that we need is to do the right thing at the right time. What have we done to enable pastoralists access markets for their livestock? Could a Government Minister tell me of a single market for goats in this country other than the informal Kariobangi Market where our people go? This market is being managed by cartels or brokers. This shows that this country has never tapped the potential of the arid region."
}