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{
    "id": 1358025,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1358025/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 225,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for allowing me to comment on the President’s Speech, which is in line with the constitutional requirement under Article 132 of the Constitution. This allows the President to indicate measures undertaken and progress made in achieving the principles that guide us as set out in Article 10 of the Constitution. My summary is that, once again, we were given a list of promises to be fulfilled. He gave us a fair report on process indicators on what needs to be done and where we have reached, but he did not tell us what he has actually done. We expect results that affect our daily lives, and not a list of the good plans or processes that have been put in place. For example, we will not tire of talking about the cost of living. We keep saying that we cannot use subsidies to mitigate the cost of living, but if you have a crisis on your hands, you first deal with it before you pursue long-term measures. We keep saying that the cost of fuel cannot be touched because it is a consumption subsidy. Nobody can convince me that fuel subsidies are consumption subsidies. There is no single mover of the economy like fuel. Fuel subsidies may be better production subsidies than fertiliser subsidies, which we all agree are production subsidies. When we say that the high cost of fuel is a problem that arises from other events happening in the world, why are there differences in fuel costs within the region? There are five levies charged on the cost of fuel, including heavy Value Added Tax (VAT). Those are things that we can handle. I was expecting that we would, at least, take care of that. We had good primary school, secondary school and university education but we have many students in universities whose fees are yet to be paid. We have come up with laws on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), but that is not the same as getting results. I am worried that the laws that we have come up with have opened us up to many interventions from the private sector. We may literally hand over the processes to the private sector. I am not sure we will get there. We have changed the structure of our social protection programmes. A Member mentioned the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). I do not know if we are aware that there are two tiers of payments being made by employees in the new arrangement. Tier one is a small proportion, which the NSSF will manage, while tier two, which is the bigger proportion, will be managed by the private sector. I am worried because the President spoke a lot about processes and policies, but he did not say what we have achieved and how it affects our daily lives. There are 35 landing beaches in Kisumu County alone. What are 11 landing beaches for the whole country? That is a drop in the ocean! Regarding the justice system, you can say that you have employed judges and allocated funds to the Judiciary, but if Government structures do not work, we will still not get results. We are looking for results. The President talked about funding the police. We must move away from thinking that policies and funds will eventually turn into needed service delivery. We should pay attention to issues of governance which will move us to allocate…"
}