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{
    "id": 1426888,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1426888/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 179,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I underline and emphasize that in this country we must be fair as we talk about population. I have heard people in this Senate and outside stating that if a constituency has 300,000 people and another has 20,000 then it is fair that we give more resources to the first and leave the other. I want to give a very simple example. In the constituency that has 300,000 people, the likelihood is that there are day schools. Pupils walk to school and in the evening, they are back home. If you are awarding NG-CDF and you give them Kshs5000 or Kshs3000 then the day scholar will still walk to and from school. Madam Temporary Speaker, in some of our areas you will have to send the child to book a lodging. Let us say they have been given Kshs10,000. They still have to travel and book a place to sleep for the night and travel again the following day to reach their boarding school. Schools are that far and when the floods come as they have, they will not just spend that Kshs3,000 just like the first constituency but Kshs10,000 because of the travel expenses and accommodation. Even that small example will tell you that we still need equal resources, if not more for those areas. This is because we have to somehow pay for the sins of this country. I argue this way because we committed a sin some time ago. Session Paper No.10 of 1965 which specifically stated that the resources of the country which we collect from everybody will be concentrated in high potential areas. It was so bad that in parts where we come from, people used to say tunaenda Kenya (we are going to Kenya). It was because of how hard life was. We thank God for devolution and NG-CDF and the things it has done. In terms of reparations for these areas, I persuade Hon. Members here, even outside that when say not anyone touching the NG-CDF. Let us leave it as it is. Do not say it is unfair because historically we are doing reparations to some of these areas. Madam Temporary Speaker, finally, I want to talk about the question of the Standing JLAHRC proposals to amend this Bill. I have listened carefully to the proposals from them, and they are so important. I urge Members that at the Third Reading, we must ensure we pass our amendments in this House. We cannot have a situation where we are a passing a law that is against us. Many times, people do not pay attention to these things. As one Hon. Senator has said, we debate the principles and then we leave the details out. Madam Temporary Speaker, we must make sure that the amendments by JLAC are passed at the Third Reading. When we take them back to the National Assembly and it agrees with them, then it is good because both Houses must be represented in these processes. If the National Assembly says no, we must stick to our guns to the ground and we must go for mediation. We must not allow a situation where even things to do with boundary demarcation, we are being told that we are not part of that; it is the National Assembly. Why? We should not accept that. We should not pass any such laws. I commend the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs Committee for the work they have done. Let us not leave even one of those proposals they have made to go without passing at the Third Reading. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}